Perseus Jackson Monster Shifter
by Hans50
Summary: Perseus Jackson is trapped in Tartarus. After the council of the gods, save a few, betray and sentence him to eternal suffering, something happens to our hero that will change him forever. He is tortured and cursed. With a horrible curse placed upon him that turns him into the things that he hunts and despise, will he suffer in the pit or will he thrive? He is the Monster Shifter
1. Welcome to Hell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any characters mentioned in this story. All rights go to Rick Riordan. This is all purely made up and written for entertainment.**

**Welcome to Hell**

Tartarus. The very definition of Hell. The place where monsters go when they die to reform. A dungeon of torment and suffering, filled with the wicked creatures of the planet. The Prison for the most foul and evil beings in the world. The prison for traitors, rapists, murderers, and the enemies of the gods. The prison of the Titans. The prison of the Giants.

The prison of the once Hero of Olympus. The prison of the being formerly known as Perseus Jackson.

For one hundred years, Percy has been rotting away in this hellhole. The poisonous air scorches his lungs, burns his skin, and stings his eyes. The ground made of jagged rocks and broken glass tears his flesh on his feet as he traverses the endless plains of the dreary landscape. Rivers of magma flow through the black and barren landscape where no life grows. The very place was malevolent, worming its way into his mind and beginning to eat away at the walls of his sanity. He has seen horrors in this place that make the Fields of Punishment seem like a day at the beach.

Scores of monsters reside within the pit with him. Many have tried to kill him, but he had to always flee, for he knew the consequences should he kill one of them. What would happen to him if he were forced to kill any monster he crossed paths with.

He was immortal. It is his curse that the oh so mighty,_ benevolent_ Olympians has bestowed upon him before his was cast into this gods forsaken pit. To suffer forever in Hell, unable to die, unable to embrace the sweet darkness of death, to escape the unending agony he is made to endure.

Why was the son of Poseidon, the retriever of Zeus's Master Bolt, Retriever of the Golden Fleece, Saver of Artemis, Bearer of the Sky, Survivor of the Battle of the Labyrinth, Slayer of Monsters, Bane of Kronos, Destroyer of Giants, Bane of Gaea, Hero of Olympus twice over, doing down here in Tartarus? What did he do to have all his friends and family turn their back on him, scorn him, hate and despise him? What did he do to have the gods vote for his eternal damnation in the Pit of Tartarus? Very simple answer really.

Nothing.

He did nothing to deserve this punishment. He was set up, betrayed, made to look like a traitor to his own kind, to his friends, his family, and the love of his life. Made to look like he was a servant to Gaea, someone willing to sell out the place he called home for five years.

After the war, after the Olympian council _saw_ him send Gaea back into her slumber, he thought life would be better; that peace would reign and he would get to spend the rest years of his life with his beautiful girlfriend.

It was not to be. A short time after the war, after the gifts were given out and he was offered to be a god again, but turned it down to return the thrones of Hades and Hestia to the Council, he got a new brother. A new son of Poseidon named Eric Summers, a cocky, arrogant bastard that was hell-bent on making Percy's life miserable and to turn his friends and family against him.

Percy didn't understand why the camp flocked to the weak demigod, didn't understand why he began to lose his close friends one by one to Eric, didn't understand why his father preferred a son who didn't even do a tenth of what he did, the glory and honor he brought him, and he DEFINITELY didn't understand why his girlfriend abandoned and cheated on him with the arrogant jackass.

Percy was so angry when he found out that destroyed half the woods in his rage and collapsed half the cabins with a massive earthquake. He was then summoned to Olympus for an emergency council meeting that concerned him.

As soon as he in the throne room has was attacked and subdued in celestial bronze chains and was chained in the middle of the throne room. He was shocked and angry at the treatment and froze as he looked into the faces of the assembled gods on the council. A few were looking at the events in shock and anger at how the Hero of Olympus was being treated, mainly Hestia, Hades, and surprisingly Artemis. The rest looked at him with malice and disgust in their eyes. But something was off, it looked like their eyes were slightly glazed with a tinge of black around the edges but he was torn from those thoughts when Zeus stood up.

Zeus stood up and accused him of being a traitor to Olympus and a spy for Gaea. He thundered that he was too powerful and therefore should be punished and sentenced to Tartarus for eternal damnation. Percy shouted and defended that he would never betray Olympus, why would he when he saved it twice now? He begged and pleaded with the few gods that were his friends of the council and turned to his father but all he saw was a steely hatred directed at him with the slight glaze to their eyes.

Zeus then called for the vote and he lost. 11-3 in favor of him being eternally tortured in the Pit with Hades, Hestia, and Artemis voting to keep him out of the Pit and were demanding and shouting to present more evidence on what he was accused of. Hades and Hestia owned the young demigod for bringing them respect and making them no longer outcasts to their family and Artemis felt that she had to defend the young hero who saved her from the sky and befriended her late lieutenant.

But his and their pleas were fallen on deaf ears as Zeus waved off their arguments. Zeus then lifted his Master Bolt and shot it at Percy stilled wrapped in chains in the middle of the throne room. The bolt struck him directly in the chest and he screamed in pain as he felt the blood evaporate in his body only to be replaced with the golden ichor of immortals and millions of volts of electricity convulsed through his system. He was made immortal to suffer for eternity.

Then with a final look filled with pain, hurt, and betrayal in his eyes, as tears of anger and pain streamed down his face, a dark black hole that radiated evil appeared underneath him and he fell into Tartarus.

He fell for what seemed like hours until he finally landed with a painful crash into the side of a tall black mountain. The mountain was over 1,000 feet tall and it just screamed evil torture chamber. Jagged black rocks jutted from the side of the mount where some unlucky monsters that strayed to close were impaled on. Blood red mist clouds circled the mountain in a slow, swirling motion, sometimes raining a dark green black substance, most likely acid that bubbled and hissed when it hit the mountain. The writhing forms of monsters and mortals alike were impaled on ten-foot long pikes placed all around the base of the mountain left out in the acid rain with blood pooling at the base of the pikes.

Percy felt like every bone in his body was smashed and reduced to powder. Every part of him was screaming in pain. Then just as he was about to black out from the pain, he saw a huge shadow cover him as he fell into blissful darkness.

He was awoken to a sharp slap to the side of his face. Being back in the realm of consciousness Percy realized that he was strapped to the wall with black Stygian iron chains in a spread eagle form. The chains radiated an aura so cold that it burned his wrists and ankles. He could feel his hands and feel began go numb but not quite enough to where it took the pain away.

Dark chuckling caused him to raise his head to the source of the voice and his eyes widened in horror as he saw the last person he thought he would ever see again.

The being before that stood before him was a very tall and broad man. He stood at eight feet in height, with a broad, muscled chest and arms. His face was gorgeous; filled with sharp angles that defined his face and attracted all who looked upon him. His hair was as black as midnight and his eyes glowed a mesmerizing golden color. I guess I now know where the Big Three get their looks, Percy thought to himself.

The only thing that took away from his beauty was that fact that thousands of scars adorned his face and skin. It was as if he was thrown into a wood chipper and was sliced into a million pieces. No, not a wood chipper, a _Scythe._

Kronos, The Titan Lord of Time, stood before him in his true physical form.

"Hello grandson. Nice of you to drop by for a visit and _hang out_" Kronos said with dark humor in his voice as a malicious glint began to form in his cold golden eyes.

"B…bu…but _how_?" Percy stuttered out, "I thought your consciousness was scattered to the world! You weren't suppose to even _HAVE_ a consciousness for at least a thousand years!"

Kronos chuckled again as if the idea amused him.

"Oh no, dear grandson, that was not the case. I didn't become the Titan King for not coming up with a contingency plan. True that sliver of consciousness that inhabited the son of Hermes body was scattered to the four corners of the earth but that not all of it. His form was like a, gateway you could say. Enough for me to control him but not all of me possessed him." He was smiling widely, almost insanely at the genius of his plan. And it was, it was pure evil genius.

"But enough about me, it seemed as if the _Olympians_," here he sneered "has decided to gift me with a special present, the one who defeated me and made me lose most of my power. Oh yes Perseus, even though only a fraction of my consciousness was scattered, it was enough to cause a backlash and weaken my power and me once again. But I don't need that much power to do what I plan on doing to _you."_

His smile became maniacal and full of malice while all traces of humor left his eyes becoming a hard golden color. He brought out his scythe and the pain began.

For years, Kronos tortured Percy, slicing every part of his flesh again and again with his soul-reaping scythe. The pain from the scythe made Percy's life, memories, essence, and soul feel like it was slowly draining away and caused him to go to the brink of insanity. But always at the last second, Kronos would stop; he didn't want to give the son of Poseidon any relief he would find in Insanity's embrace. He tortured the son of Poseidon in many other ways from piercing his flesh with swords and arrowheads, to burning him with white-hot lashes across his back. He found out about Percy's phobia of drowning in the muskeg and capitalized on that by at the end of everyday, he would fill tank full of the water mud and earth and plunged Percy's head into the tank holding it under while he thrashed trying to breathe. Only when he passed out would Kronos pull him from the tank.

The Tank, as Percy called it, and the Scythe became his most hated punishments.

On the last day of what was around the 75th year, Kronos entered carrying a small black knife with red trimming around the blade. Percy lay in a heap on the floor in a pool of dried blood. It's a spot he hasn't left in five years.

"How are you doing today, grandson? Don't get up." He laughed a laugh full of mirth as if he made the best joke in the world. Percy didn't even stir.

"Now, unfortunately, today is our last day together." Kronos said in a saddened tone, as if it pained him to let his best punching bag go. It probably did.

Percy's head slowly lifted from the floor his once vibrant sea-green eyes, now a dull green, showing shock, surprise, and maybe just a sliver of hope.

"Oh no no no, don't think you're leaving this place, that the Olympians are coming down here to release you from your fate." Kronos chided.

The hope in Percy's eyes died but it came back when he realized that he would finally be free of Kronos.

"At least I'll finally be free of you!" Percy rasped out, his voice still raw from all the screaming.

"Yes, yes you will be but I have a very _special_ gift to give you today." Kronos said in a sickly sweet tone, holding up the weird looking knife that began to glow a dark black as he stalked towards the fallen demigod.

Percy tried to scramble away from the approaching titan but he was still so weak. Kronos then grabbed his arm, stretched out Percy's hand palm facing down and with a malicious smirk, drove the dagger through the back of his hand.

Percy let of a scream of pure agony as the glowing knife plunged into his hand. It felt let his hand was injected with pure lava and it was traveling though his veins with each pulse of his heart. Funny thing was, the knife and his heart were pulsing in rhythm with each other as if…they were connected.

The pain abruptly ended as Kronos pulled the knife from his hand and Percy collapsed to the ground dry heaving as the after effects of whatever the Hades just happened to him caught up with him. He looked at the back of his hand, expecting to see a gaping hole in the back of it, and imagine his surprise when he doesn't see a gaping wound but a black tattoo of an inverted reptile eye. A monster's eye.

"Were not done just yet, Perseus, we still have the other hand to do" Kronos cackled madly.

After going through the process once again, Percy had a matching black tattoo on his other hand and he could feel that something was pulsing through his body, waiting to break free.

"This knife, was a very special gift I was given to by my mother, Gaea, did you know that? She and her brothers, Tartarus and Ouranos imbued their power into it with a sliver of power from their father, Chaos." Kronos explained as the pain from the knife continued to pulse through Percy's body.

"It has a very special curse to it, one that I could only give once, one that I didn't find worthy of anyone until you came along. This curse that the knife passed along to you that you now carry inside your body is the Curse of the Monsters. You are no longer fully demigod, with this curse, whatever monster you kill, you shall become. You are a monster now Perseus Jackson. The very thing you hunt, the very thing you despise, is now what you are!" Kronos ended his rant with hysterical laughter that filled the cavern that continued until Percy passed out in shock and horror at what he was now.

He woke up in the middle of the barren black landscape alone with no shirt and in tattered bloodstained pants. The atmosphere of Tartarus was still painful and still trying to kill him, but it was like the edge was taken off. Guess the stupid curse and sessions with Kronos were good for something.

He picked himself up from the ground, looked around, and set off in a random direction, looking for a place that he could a least live in comfortably, as comfortable one could be in Tartarus, and a place he could call home in this gods forsaken place.

This brings him to where he is now, Percy walking through the wasteland of Tartarus for over a year, trying to look for a safe place away from monsters to try and keep his curse dormant. He's had some close calls with some roaming groups of hellhounds, Empousai, and Cyclopes, but he was able to avoid them, even swiping some much needed supplies. Hermes would be proud.

At that thought, Percy's expression darkened as he flashed back to the betrayal. He cursed Hermes, cursed his father, cursed all of the Olympian Council that betrayed him and sentenced him to this hellhole. He felt hollow, filled with hurt and pain caused at the hands of those he thought were his family.. He realized why loyalty was a Fatal Flaw; not because it could bring the downfall of the entire world, but when the ones he loves turns their backs on him and betrays him, the pain of his heart shattering again and again was almost to much to bear, leaving him full of pain, hurt, anger, bitterness, and hatred.

He was so wrapped up in his brooding that he didn't notice the threat until it was too late.

From out of one of the many black outcroppings that dotted the landscape, came the form of a massive Hellhound. It was about the size of a F-250 Ford Truck; not as big as Mrs. O'Leary's dump truck size, but pretty close. It fur was matted and grimy covered in dust and blood. It lips were pulled back into a ferocious snarl, showing off gleaming sharp canine teeth that could rip hip to shreds in seconds. Its red eyes were filled with an animalistic hunger as it zeroed in on him, looking at him like he was a delicious prime rib.

Corded muscles throughout its legs and back tensed as the massive hound prepared to pounce and devour him. He had no place to run, no place to run, and no option but to defend himself.

Percy slowly inched his hand toward his pocket where the one thing that he drew comfort from in his old life rested. Riptide, his trusty pen/sword, was still with him through all the horrors he faced down here. Unfortunately, it was taken from him during his torture sessions with Kronos in that cursed mountain, but as soon as he was out of there, it reappeared in his pocket once more.

The hellhound grew tired of waiting and launched itself at the tasty morsel in front of it. Percy dived out of the way as the massive shape sailed past his body, brushing close enough to feel the coarse fur on his arm. Back on his feet in an instant, Percy uncapped Riptide as it grew into its three-foot long glory of a deadly glowing celestial bronze blade.

The beast turned whipped around and charged once more, but Percy was ready this time. Ducking under the deadly swipe, he sliced his sword upwards in a deadly arc, catching the monster off guard as it tore through its chest, leaving a long slash wound. The hellhound let out a yelp of pain rising up on its hind legs. Rolling under its belly, Percy came up in a crouch position and jumped straight up and buried Riptide in its chest up to the hilt.

The monster let out one last cry of pain before it dissolved into golden dust. However, the dust did not disperse like it usually would do in the case of a normal monster death. Instead, Percy felt a stinging pain in the back of his hand as he saw the tattoos begin to glow an intense black light. The monster dust began to swirl around in a tight funnel before splitting of into three streams; one stream dispersed and two streams flowed straight into the glowing symbols on Percy's hands.

As soon as the dust was absorbed, Percy felt a tremendous pain rack his body. It felt like his insides were being boiled, his muscles tearing, his bones breaking, his very body being twisted and ripped apart.

Through the pain, he watched in horrified fascination as his body began to shift and change. Course black fur began to grow and ripple across his skin, coating his body in a matter of seconds. He saw his hands crack and split into huge paws with three-inch sharp claws springing out of his fingernails. He pitched forward onto the ground as his joints in his limbs reversed as they became more canine in shape. Bulging muscles grew in his lower legs and traveled up his into his back, forcing it to hunch and grow in size. He felt as if his face was being pulled off as he saw a giant snout grow from the front of his head as large razor sharp teeth burst forth from his gums. His hearing and eyesight sharpened, his sense of smell went from nearly nonexistent to overwhelming; he could smell things miles away, sweat and blood filled his nostrils, the smell of fear and despair assaulted his nasal cavities. He continued to grow in size until he stood at the size of a large truck.

Hellhound Percy whimpered in pain as animal instincts slammed into his mind as he saw images and memories of the hellhound whose essence he just absorbed. He tried to fight it off, but the raw instincts of a animalistic monster was too much for his human mind and he was pushed back to the back of his own brain as the monster in him took over.

Letting out a drawn out howl, Percy in his new monster form took of into the distance. The hunt was on for prey. He would hunt, he would kill, he would eat. He will survive. He will have his revenge.

The transformation was complete. The curse had finally taken affect. Percy Jackson was now a massive hellhound, a monster, and just the first of many monsters he would become.

**So what do you guys think? How were the descriptions? Do you like the idea? Any suggestions on how he should get revenge on the gods? I wanted to install a back-story for Percy on why he was down in Tartarus. There maybe be some flashbacks in the following chapters and a lot of surprises to come. **


	2. New Forms and Abilities

**New Form and Abilities**

Percy POV

Terror. That was all I could think about as I changed into a monster. I watched in terror as my the symbol on my hands glowed, absorbing the golden dust of the beast I just killed, forcing my body to constrict and change into a hellhound. I could still feel the excruciating pain as my muscles and bones were broken and reformed, as they grew bigger, filling with new strength and power that I didn't know they could possess. But that wasn't the worst part.

What was struck fear through me like a bolt of lightning was my mind was forcefully shoved aside as the animalistic instincts of the hellhound took over my body. I saw myself running through the barren landscape of Tartarus, breathing in the acidic air, feeling the terrain trying to cut open my flesh, but I had no control over my body. I was a prisoner inside my mind as my monster instincts took control.

I fought against the instincts of the hellhound within my mind, but it seemed impossible. I felt like an ant trying to wrestle control from an elephant. The instincts seemed so chaotic, monstrous and untamable. I felt myself getting angry then. This was MY body. I controlled what my body does and I would be damned to let some stupid monster instincts wrestle control from what was MINE.

I felt restrained and I focused on what I was told a long time ago, 'The Sea does not like to be restrained'. I felt a familiar tug in my gut that continued to grow until it was almost painful. My monster body began to stumble and in one bellowing howl, I felt my mind snap back in control. I still felt the monster instincts inside my head, but subdued, tamed by my mind and unpredictable mature. Who knew being an unpredictable troublemaker would one day help me regain control over my body after being cursed to change into a monster? No one that's who! (Note the sarcasm).

I took this time to look over myself in my new monster form. I was huge, about the size of F-150 ford truck. I felt a tingling sensation in my muscles, a strange new power that seemed to electrify my nerve-endings. Corded muscle covered my entire body, my haunches felt like they could leap great bounds, ready to snap into action at a moment's notice. I looked at my massive paws with four three-inch claws sprouting out of my individual digits. I worked my jaws around, opening and closing it a few times. I could tell that a single bite from these powerful jaws would cause severe injury to whoever I bit.

Strangely enough, I didn't feel as much pain in this form as I did while I was a human (well, a demigod but still). I still felt the pain of Tartarus trying to hurt and kill all who resides within the pit but the pain was lessened. I'm guessing this body is able to withstand the harsh punishment of the hostile environment better than my own body.

Pain suddenly burst through my head as I collapsed with a whimper of pain. Images began to race through my mind like I was watching a movie. I saw a tiny hellhound pup surrounded by its siblings, being born in a black cavern, opening its eyes for the first time. I watched as that pup grew older and bigger than all its siblings. I saw it hunt fight multiple monsters in the pit. I saw it escape for the first time and make it to the mortal world. Saw it hunt some mortals but mostly kept to itself out in the woods. Saw it get killed multiple times, only to reform back here. The final imagine was that of me shoving my sword straight into its chest before everything went black.

The pain subsided as I crawled my way to my feet. 'What did I just see?' I thought. Was that just a regular montage of what goes on in a monster life? No, those were _memories_. Memories of the hellhound, the hellhound I killed. I was shocked. For once I was actually seeing things from the perspective of a monster. The memories of the hellhound were now my own. It was a surreal feeling.

I picked myself off the ground and looked around to see where I was. I was in some sort of giant cavern, huge black walls surrounded me, and glowing stalactites dotted the ceiling, casting an eerie pale green glow around the cave. The floor had jagged rocks strewn all over the place. Looks pretty homey, I thought sarcastically.

I went over to one of the walls that looked the least dangerous and painful. Once there I lay down and curled up into a little ball, my head resting on my paws as my tail, gods that's so weird to think, curled around my paws. Thank goodness for my fur, it seemed to prevent me some of the pain from the air and keep what little body heat I have left. Looking around one last time, I slowly close my eyes and drift off into a fitful slumber.

Line Break-

Third Person POV

Percy woke up some time later, still in slight pain but considerably less. He yawned and crawled to his feet only to realize that he was back in his old body. Looking himself over, he saw that the change from monster to half-blood has left some changes to his body.

He was a towering 6'5' as apposed to his previous 6'2', with rippling muscles all over his body. His arms looked like corded pythons, incredibly strong but can also react with lightning speed. He looked down at his bare torso and saw his chest was much broader than before but it began to narrow and taper off to a thin but still thick waist. His six-pack stood strong and defined, with deep grooves emphasizing each muscle. His legs were long but with thick muscles that were built for speed, power, and strength.

His hands looked light they could crush metal with a simple squeeze and if he looked really close he could make out the tiny points on his nails that signified his monster claws. Pulling out his sword, he looked at the reflection in the celestial bronze and gaped at the sight that met him.

His hair, which was always shaggy and a complete mess, looked even messier but in a rugged way that was appealing. His face was more defined, cheekbones and nose looked like it was chiseled out of stone, strong chin, and when he opened his mouth he could see his canines were slightly bigger. Not enough to draw more attention to himself, but definitely larger than normal.

Last thing he saw were his eyes. They were still the same alluring sea green, but now they shone with a ferocity that startled even him. They made his wolf-glare that Lupa showed him look a kitten glance. They seemed to shine from within with the primal, animalistic instinct of a monster and he couldn't but think that they made him look very cool and fierce.

He thought, man if Aphrodite saw me now, I bet she would be drooling in lust right now. He pushed that thought down; he didn't need any more nightmares to add to already huge collection.

Putting his sword away, he walked to the front of the cave where he entered. He surveyed his surroundings to look for any potential threats, finding his new instincts helping put quite a bit with that. Satisfied, he walked out of the cave to see if he could find any supplies. He decided that the cave would be his new home down in the pit and he needed stuff to survive down here.

Walking for a little bit, always surveying the area, he soon saw the light of a campfire ahead. Immediately ducking down, he crawled forward slowly to get close enough to sneak a peak at the campsite.

It was a campsite and surrounding the campsite were three huge Laestrygonian Giants. Each about nine feet tall, rippling with muscle, arms covered in tattoos, they were munching on some sort of meat when he realized that the meat was a leg of some sort. Percy had to cover his mouth to avoid throwing up, both from the image of them eating a leg and the smell of rotting flesh.

"Hey Skull Eater, pass me another arm. I'm still hungry!" One of the giants yelled at his buddy named Skull Eater.

"No way Joe Bob! You already got a whole leg! I get to keep the arm. Here you can have the bottom, seems like you would like it more!" Skull Eater replied.

Percy could not believe his ears. These were the same giants that attacked him, Tyson, and _her_ when he was 13. A slow smile stretched across his lips, he would enjoy killing these monsters again.

"You idiot! I ain't eating that! That's disgusting. I killed the pathetic half-blood, I should get the best parts!" Joe Bob yelled at his partner pushing him to the ground and grabbing the arm.

The other giant got up and just grumbled under his breath. Percy surveyed the situation; they all appeared unarmed and were circled around the fire. Skull Eater and the unnamed giant had their backs facing him and they blocked him from the view of the Joe Bob. He looked around there campsite and saw what sort of supplies they had, a beat-up old tent, some rope, a few hellhound furs, and some cannonballs that he remembered from the dreaded dodge ball game of death.

He uncapped Riptide and slowly stalked forward. Raising Riptide he suddenly struck and plunged his sword into the back of Skull Eater. With a cry of surprise and pain, the giant dissolved into golden dust. Joe Bob and the other giant eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed and yelled in anger. Dashing over to the tent Joe Bob pulled out a massive club while the other giant wasn't so lucky as he charged Percy who calmly sidestepped and sliced upwards, severing the giant's head from his body before he too burst into golden dust.

Joe Bob, with club in hand, looked over at the intruder and his eyes narrowed in anger.

"YOU!" He shouted, "Perseus Jackson! How are you down here? The gods finally get tired of your pathetic ass? You will pay for what you did to my brothers! I will have my revenge for what you did to me all those years ago!"

He charged forward slamming the club down in the spot where Percy was just in a minute ago. Joe Bob looked around confused before he brought up his club in surprise at the unexpected attack from his right. How'd he move so fast? No demigod has ever displayed that much speed and agility before!

Joe Bob thought about it for a second when Percy was standing a little ways from him before he put the pieces together and he began to laugh.

"Oh this is rich! The Olympians sent you down here didn't they? Oh that is too funny! Now I get to feast on demigod flesh tonight! Baby Cakes is gonna love that!" Joe Bob managed to gasp out in between fits of laughter.

His laughter was cut off with a cry of pain when Percy had enough and surged forward and stabbed Riptide through his calf.

Joe Bob was beginning to panic a little as the blows from the angry demigod continued to rain down on him. He made the mistake of looking into the half-blood's eyes and what he saw scared him. His eyes darkened to a stormy green mixed with the ferocity of a look he had only seen on a hellhound.

Suddenly Percy put his sword away and looked at Joe Bob with a look that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Yes you overgrown piece of Minotaur dung. The Olympians cast me down here because I was accused of working with Gaea. They thought I was too powerful and they betrayed me! Now I have a new trick I would like to show you Ugly. And trust me, you won't like it!" Percy spat out before a maniacal grin adorned his face.

Percy focused on the image of a hellhound in his mind before he felt the familiar changes spread throughout his body. Fur spread, muscles grew, bones shifted, and teeth and claws shot out of their sheaths. The pain that accompanied the change wasn't as bad as before. Soon the change was complete and a garbage truck sized hellhound stood in the place of where the demigod once was.

Joe Bob now had a terrified look on his face as he saw his enemy shift and change into the massive monster that was now before him. Percy felt the monster instincts in him fight for control but he was able to push them aside and assume complete control. A growl escaped his lips before he lunged and the scared giant.

In terror Joe Bob lashed out with his club, which slammed into the face of the hellhound, stunning it for a little bit before it looked back at the giant with anger in its eyes.

Letting out another howl Percy surged forward and bit down on the club with his jaws before yanking it out of the giant's hands and crushing into kindling between his teeth. He then ran forward and swiped his claws across the giants chest, feeling his claws sink into the flesh. The giant yelled out in pain before he was silenced as Percy bit down on his neck and tore his throat out.

The giant dissolved into golden dust as Percy focused on his human form before he shifted back with some difficulty. Shifting back to human was like trying to swim through molasses and he should know, he tried it before. He guessed he needed some practice to make the transitions smoother.

The three piles of golden dust that was lying throughout camp suddenly rose from the ground as the inverted eye tattoo on his hands began to glow before they began to absorb half of each pile of dust, letting the rest dissipate in the wind.

Pain wracked his body as he felt the change began again but this one felt different than before. He felt himself grow taller, 7 feet, 8 feet, 11 feet before stopping at 12 feet. His muscles swelled even more than they already were. He felt hair grow on his chest arms, and legs, not like hellhound fur, but like an excess of body hair. The hair on his head grew longer and unruly as he felt his skin toughen and his finger and toenails crack and yellow. His teeth felt strange in his mouth as the grew bigger, some sharpening as they turned yellow. His breathe smelled horrible, like a cross between rotten flesh and sulfur.

The pain passed and he stood up to examine his new body. He was now a Laestrygonian Giant, a huge one at that. He suddenly felt the desire to consume human flesh, to consume monster flesh, to consume anything living. Images surged into his head as the memories of the three giants he killed played in his mind. He quickly clamped down on those memories and instincts, having practice with the hellhound instincts. One thing was clear; Laestrygonian instincts were less powerful than a hellhound's.

Why was he Laestrygonian Giant? He already turned into a hellhound, wasn't that enough? Maybe the curse forces him to change into any monster he slays. So whatever monster he kills, he absorbs their essence form the golden dust and he acquires a new monster form.

"Why am I so much taller than an average giant? "Percy wondered aloud. He was shocked at how deep his voice sounded, it was his but much much deeper. Was the reason why he was bigger than a normal giant was because he absorbed dust from three giants instead of one like the hellhound? It's as good a theory as any, thought in frustration.

Deciding to stay in his new monster form to get used to it and to make use of its strength, Percy rounded up all the supplies in the campsite and hauled them back to his cave. Turning back to his human form, he went over what he scored from the campsite. There was the tent he saw, some extra rope, the hellhound furs that would make a nice bed, the cannonballs, a few extra clubs some made from wood, some made from celestial bronze, some extra celestial bronze, a fire pit, some wood, some pairs of clothes he didn't even want to think about where they came from, and about five gallons of clean water, well as clean as it can get down here.

Looking over the supplies, Percy felt his situation was looking a lot better for the first time since he was cast down in this hellhole. He organized the weapons and essentials into a nice little pile by one of the cave walls. Pitching the tent and laying the furs out into a bed, Percy then went to the front of the cave to lay out the fire pit and get a fire started.

Once the fire was started, he sat in front of it to get some warmth back into his body as he felt the cold in the air, signaling it was now nighttime in Tartarus. He thought back to Joe Bob's remark about the Olympians casting him away. His thoughts began to wander to the gods and his former friends and he felt anger, resentment, and hatred well up within him. He hated the gods who betrayed him and how his father went along with them. Poseidon called him his favorite son, but apparently that didn't last very long. Slowly the anger gave way to pain and hurt as silent tears traced down his cheeks.

Why did this have to happen? Now he was stuck down here, alone and abandoned, and with a curse that turns him into the very thing demigods despise. Tearing himself away from his thoughts, he put out his fire and walked back into the cave. Laying down on the bed made of furs, he fell into a deep fitful sleep.

**Well there you have it. Percy managed to get control over the monster form for a bit. He also met and "old friend" and acquired a new monster form.**

**I just want to say I am sorry for not updating this story sooner but I just moved to a new house that has no Internet connection and I finally found a library that has decent connection. So I apologize in advance for slow updates until I am able to get Internet at my new house. It will be within the week hopefully!**

**What will happen to him now? Hopefully the next update will be up soon!**

**Please review!**


	3. Flashbacks and a Familiar Face

**Flashbacks and a Familiar Face**

**Third Person POV**

Percy awoke after a few hours of dreamless sleep. Tartarus was still as dark and hostile as ever, but for some reason, it seemed to be a bit…less. The poisonous air wasn't as toxic to his lungs as when he was first down here and the darkness wasn't as black as it usually was. Percy realized that after all the time he spent down here and that he had absorbed the essences from those monsters, he was finally adjusting to the harsh environment that was Tartarus.

Shaking his head to clear it of the lingering sleep, he set out to the front of the cave to where his fire pit was. Walking over to the fire pit, he got a fire going to get some warmth and light going.

After the fire was made, he walked back into his cave and checked around the cracks and crevices for something to eat. He was lucky and found three rat-like creatures trapped under some rocks. Normally, the idea of eating _anything_ living down here would be repulsive to him, but he quickly learned that if he didn't eat what he caught, he didn't eat at all. The energy that he would get from these rat-like creatures would make sure that he would stay alert from any other monster attacks.

After cooking up the creatures, he took a few portions from each rat and threw them into the flames.

"To Hestia, Hades, and Artemis. I know you guys tried your best to save me from down here and I'm sorry this isn't enough. Thanks for trying." Percy whispered to the flames. He may hate almost all the gods with a fiery passion, but those three tried their best to help him and old habits die hard.

After he sacrificed to them, the flames seemed to rise just a little and get a little bit cozier. Any sort of comfort down here was a blessing and he sat there just soaking up the comfort from the flames. He ate in silence, choking down the nasty meat, and remembering that fateful day.

_**Flashback**_

_Percy was walking to the beach with a lot weighing on his mind. Over the last few weeks, he was slowing becoming an outcast in camp. With the arrival of his half-brother, Eric Summers, the entire camp flocked to him like sheep to a shepherd. Eric began to spread lies and rumors about him, saying that he really didn't kill that many monsters, that he really didn't do all those things that he was famous for, and that he really didn't defeat Kronos or Gaea in the last two wars. All he did was cause the deaths of hundreds of demigods and some of his closest friends._

_Percy was furious when he heard those rumors and confronted Eric on them. Eric just stood there smugly and told him he didn't know what he was talking about. Eric then challenged him to a duel to show who was the better son of Poseidon and Percy accepted. _

_Within 30 seconds, Percy wiped the floor with Eric in his usual Percy fashion, but Eric made it look like he was hurt a lot more than he really was. The duel just added fuel to the fire and the campers started resenting him and cursing him wherever he went._

_Only Percy's closest friends stayed with him until Eric got to them too. He stole some of their most valuable possession and destroyed them, all placing the broken items perfectly to when Percy walked in to where it looked like he was guilty. The only people who didn't turn against Percy were Chiron, Thalia, Nico, and Annabeth. Chiron knew something was going on with Eric but could do nothing about it because he covered his tracks to thoroughly. Nico and Thalia spent a majority of their time away from camp, Nico in the Underworld and Thalia with the Hunters of Artemis, so Eric couldn't get his claws into them._

_Annabeth stayed with Percy too, but she was distancing herself from him. It was subtle but gradually grew over time. Whenever they spent time together, she seemed distracted and looked off into the distance. When he kissed her goodnight, she would turn her head at the last minute so he would kiss her cheek. The kisses became shorter and shorter until they finally stopped all together._

_Percy confronted her about it and she just said that she was so busy redesigning Olympus and didn't have much time on her hands. Percy, being the loving boyfriend he is, tried to compromise and do everything he could to make her feel happy and comfortable. _

_Shaking his head, he continued on his way to the beach, the one place he went to get away from it all so he could think. As he got closer to the beach, he saw a couple one the beach that were right o top of each other, heavily making out._

_Percy saw that it was Eric and some blonde girl in a very intimate position. He turned away in disgust but whipped around when he heard a familiar voice reach his ears._

"_Oh Eric, you are such a great kisser. You make me feel like the happiest girl in the world!" She giggled. Percy's eyes widened in horror. _Not her, _he thought,_ please not her!

"_You like it when I kiss you, huh Annabeth?" Eric said huskily. He kissed her again as Percy began to tremble in anger. "When are you gonna dump my loser of a brother? Everyone knows I'm so much better than him!" He said arrogantly._

"_Gonna, isn't a word!" she scolded him playfully as she smacked his chest. "And soon. He doesn't even know we've been seeing each other behind his back for two months now. I was only using him to get in the spotlight and to satisfy my pride." She replied as she leaned in for another kiss._

_In a furious rage, Percy summoned a 50-ft wave and doused the two cheaters in icy ocean water. They came up spluttering and met the furious glowing eyes of Percy Jackson. _

"_Is that all I was to you Annabeth? Just a meal ticket to the quests and to get fame? Was it all a lie?! DID YOU EVER LOVE ME?!" He roared in a voice full of power. The sky and ocean were boiling together in a furious whirlpool. Ice rain was whipping around the three and a massive earthquake was rocking the camp._

_Annabeth just looked at Percy in terror at being caught and from his anger. Eric was just looking at Percy smugly as he charged him with his sword drawn._

"_I'll show you what real power is you weakling!" He yelled at Percy._

_Summoning a wave of water, he blasted it at Percy, which was stopped cold by Percy's outstretched hand. Eric began to have sweat pour down his brow as he tried to move the water forward with all his might, but it didn't even budge. With cold eyes boring straight into his brother's, we closed his fist in a clenching motion and the water wrapped around Eric in a coiling motion. _

_With murder in his eyes he began to tighten the grip on the water until Eric began gasping in pain. It was only when he passed out from lack of air that Percy released him from his watery restraints, where he landed on the sand in a collapsed heap._

"_You are lucky _Brother_ that I don't kill demigods or mortals." Percy spat at his unconscious form before he turned his attention to Annabeth, who was looking at the ground, not even meeting his eyes._

_All the anger and rage he felt melted away only to be replaced by soul-crushing sadness and pain._

"_Why Annabeth? Why would you do this to me? I fell into Tartarus for you. I tried to give you everything I could and it still wasn't enough. I loved you with every fiber of my being and you took that love and crushed it." Percy whispered in pain._

_Annabeth still wouldn't meet his eyes and when he knew that she wouldn't talk to him, he turned away and sprinted to the woods. Kneeling in the middle of the woods, Percy let out a cry of anguish, pain, and rage. The trees, bushes and very landscape was blasted back from the amount of force Percy expelled. Crawling over to a felled tree, he leaned against the trunk and fell into an exhausted sleep._

_End Flashback_

Percy tore his thoughts away from those memories when he heard a howl that came from the piercing darkness.

He was on his feet with Riptide unsheathed in a flash, preparing for whatever nightmare that was going to come. He could feel the change rising up with him, beating against the walls of his mind howling for blood. He skin began to grow black hair, his teeth sharpened to points and his muscles began to bulge.

Percy fought back against the monster change that was threatening to overwhelm him. If he gave in now, who knows when he would regain control?

A second howl was heard closer than the last one and Percy could make out a massive Hellhound in the gloom. Readying his sword, he prepared to slice the monster in two before it barreled into him, knocking him off his feet and was pinned under a mass of fur. He closed his eyes, thinking that he was about to be eaten, before he felt something that shocked him completely: A large, sand-papery tongue licking his face in happiness.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" Percy yelled in surprise and happiness.

The massive hellhound barked in excitement before licking him all over, giving a nice slobbery bath. But Percy didn't care, he was just so glad to see a friendly face down in this hellhole that he felt a genuine smile stretch across his face; the first one he had in a long time. Pushing her off of him, he stood up and embraced her in a hug, burying his face into her fur.

"It is so good to see you girl! Gods, I missed you so much!" Percy said with misty eyes. He really loved his massive monster dog.

"But what are you doing down here girl? How did you get down here?" He asked in concern.

In reply, she whimpered and tucked her tail between her legs. She looked scared as she lowered her head and hid her face in her paws. Seeing this, Percy felt a protective anger, surge through his body. What did those blaster campers and gods do to his dog!

"Mrs. O'Leary, what happened?" Percy asked as he raised her face to his. Imagine his surprise when he got an answer.

"_They hurt me._" A female voice rang through his head. His eyes widened as he looked at his hellhound before speaking again.

"Did I just hear you speak in my mind?" Percy asked a little freaked out.

She had a quizzical and bewildered expression on her canine face. He head was cocked to the side as she looked at her owner.

"_You can understand me?" _The feminine voice had awe in her tone. The voice wasn't just words, it was also, pictures, colors, and feelings. It held a bit of bright red mixed with some purples and oranges. It was really weird.

"Holy Hades! Mrs. O'Leary, I can understand you!" Percy yelled in shock. The shock quickly morphed into excitement. Maybe having a hellhound form wasn't so bad after all.

"_How did this happen? And why do you smell differently?" _She asked him in a curious tone.

"It's a long story girl, but I'll tell you as soon as you tell me what you're doing down here. Why are you down here?" He asked her once again.

Mrs. O'Leary lowered her head and whimpered again. Percy stepped forward and embraced her as she was hurting and she needed someone right now.

"Let's go inside the cave. Don't want anything to interrupt our little reunion." He said as he led her into the cave, grabbing stick from the fire and the remainder of the rat meat.

After making a small fire and feeding Mrs. O'Leary the meat, he sat on the other side of the fire across from her.

"Ok girl, now story time. How are you down here?" Percy asked once they were settled in.

Mrs. O'Leary looked at him from across the fire and closed her eyes. Percy felt something in his mind, like a tickle on the outskirts of his consciousness, asking for permission to enter. Interested, he reached out towards the feeling and a rush of images and feelings slammed into his mind.

He was in a large, open field. There were multitudes of 20-foot tall trees surrounding the circular field. Bushes were strewn all across the edge of the clearing. The sky was a brilliant blue with clouds dotted all across the sky. The sun was shining down through the trees into the clearing.

He saw Mrs. O'Leary burst into the clearing with a familiar figure on her back. It was a young boy, no older than 15-years old. He was dressed in black jeans, with a black t-shirt with a skull on it wearing an aviator jacket over it. He had a silver skull ring on the middle finger of his left hand and a stygian iron sword on his left hip. He had long, messy black hair and familiar black eyes that were older than his age.

It was his best friend and cousin, Nico di Angelo.

He looked at both of them with narrowed eyes. He did not like how they looked at the moment. Both Nico and Mrs. O'Leary looked worn out. They were covered in cuts and bruises and were looking over their shoulders, as if someone was after them. Who did this to his dog and cousin?

His question was answered as he heard shouts coming from where they just came from as a group of demigods burst into the clearing. His eyes blazed in anger as he saw Eric and Annabeth were among the group as well as a few Ares and Apollo kids. Clarisse, the Stolls, and Will Solace were also among them.

"Give us the dog death boy and we'll promise to take it easy on you!" Eric yelled at Nico.

Nico stood protectively in front of Mrs. O'Leary and drew his sword.

"I don't think so sea scum! I don't care if you are now the leader of that worthless camp, you are not killing Mrs. O'Leary just because she is Percy's dog!" Nico yelled back defiantly.

Eric's nostrils flared as his face went red with anger at the insult. He pulled out his on sword, which he named Current, and yelled charge.

Nico drove his sword into the ground and a crack appeared in the ground. Skeletal warriors crawled their way to the surface, each brandishing a weapon from swords and spears, to clubs and…was that a pitchfork?

"Don't kill them, but don't let them advance either!" Nico commanded.

The skeletal warriors all surged forward and the battle ensued. While the campers were all fantastic fighters and lived through two wars, they had their hands full with the number of skeletons that were attacking them. However, they could not kill the campers while they had no such restriction as they sliced at the skeletons and reduced them to piles of bones.

Nico was engaged in battle with Clarisse and he was doing really well. Looks like all those sword lessons I gave him paid off.

Clarisse thrusted her spear at Nico's stomach but he swatted it away with his sword and parried, opening up a gash on her arm. Clarisse's face went red with anger as she tried again and again to pierce Nico with her spear, but her anger was making her sloppy. Finding an opening, Nico lunged forward and caught the shaft of her spear with his sword, snapping it like a twig and knocking Clarisse out with the butt of his sword.

Even though he fought to the best of his ability and knocked out over 15 campers, Nico was exhausted and subdued by three Ares campers.

Eric, with a nasty cut across his face stormed over to him and punched him across the face. Nico's head snapped to the side, but he didn't cry out. Instead he turned his head back to Eric's and spat a mouthful of blood and saliva directly into Eric's Face. I could not be more proud of him. Eric, however, didn't find it at all funny and was about to punch him again before Annabeth stopped him as she grabbed his arm.

She shook her head and said, "He's not worth it. Let's just kill the hellhound and go."

Eric nodded his head and walked over to a subdued Mrs. O'Leary who was trapped under a giant net.

He drew his sword and said "Why don't we have a little fun before you meet my brother in the pit?"

He then began to hack away at her exposed flesh, with Annabeth and the others joining in. I yelled out in anger and rage at what they were doing to my beloved pet. Mrs. O'Leary howled in pain as each strike cut her flesh. She was too exhausted to shadow travel away. Nico was screaming his head off at them all to stop but they just ignored him.

After they finished their sick game Eric walked up to her face and said, "I hope you enjoy your time in the pit monster. And give my dearest brother my regards."

Before he could finish her off, she used the last of her energy to lunge forward and swiped at his face. He jerked back with a cry of pain as three long cuts marred his cheek. With rage in his eyes, he lunged forward and drove the blade right into her skull where she dissolved into golden dust. I screamed in anger at what I just witnessed and wanted nothing more to tear out Eric's throat with my teeth. Whoa where did that come from?

As soon as the golden dust dispersed, Nico roared in anger before wrenching free of his captors and driving his sword into their arms and legs, maiming them pretty good.

He turned to Eric and the others and leveled his sword at them.

"You will all regret this! I will see you pay! Especially you and Eric, Annabeth! You will regret this day!" He yelled as he dissolved into shadows.

Percy's mind slammed back into his body, as he took deep breathes. He was covered in sweat and was trembling at what he had just witnessed. His loathsome brother and former friends killed his dog just to spite him? Oh they were going to pay. If he ever made it out of this pit, they were going to pay.

Percy turned and saw a trembling Mrs. O'Leary. He quickly stood up and crossed over to her where he laid down next to her and gave her a hug.

"I'm so sorry girl. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. But I promise that we will survive down here and I will protect you." He said into her fur.

She turned her head towards him and gave him a little lick on his cheek, wiping away some of the tears that he didn't even know he was shedding. Percy smiled a little and wiped the rest of his tears on the back of his torn up shirt and just laid by her side, finding comfort in having another body beside him. Maybe it won't be so bad down here now that they have each other.

Sitting up, Percy turned to face the dumpster truck sized hellhound.

"Well girl, since you told me what happened to you, though I wouldn't call it 'speaking'," he half said to himself, "I guess it's time I told you what happened to me."

He situated himself across the fire and took a little bit of the rat meat he had, found a nearby spring that, miraculously, had clean water, and took a piece of the metal he got from the Laestrygonians that was bowl shaped in nature, and began to make a simple soup to the best of his ability.

After he made a small bowl of soup, he began his tale.

"It all started just after the Second Giant War. After I forced Gaea back to sleep, we got our rewards and I wished for Hestia and Hades to be made Olympians again. A week after we got our rewards, a new half-blood showed up at the camp borders. It was my worthless, half-brother _Eric_." He said in anger.

"After _Eric,_ arrived at camp, my friends all started to leave me, flocking to him like he was the greatest demigod in the world. He turned my friends against me by making it look like I didn't care about them and was destroying their stuff. The final blow came from when I caught Annabeth cheating on me with him. I was so angry that I destroyed half the woods in my anger and I passed out afterwards." He winced at the memories.

"When I woke up, I was summoned to Olympus by Hermes and when I arrived, Zeus instructed the Olympians to seize me. The beat me and tied me down in celestial bronze chains. They then accused me of being a traitor and spy for Gaea and also said I was too powerful to be allowed to live. Hestia, Hades, and Artemis campaigned for me to be set free and claimed I was innocent." He smiled slightly at the three gods kindness.

"_What about the others? What about your father?" _Mrs. O'Leary thought spoke to him. Percy's expression darkened at the mention of his ex-father.

"He said I wasn't his son. He said I was a mistake and that I was a threat to his rule. He and the others voted to cast me down here. They also made me immortal so I could experience all the 'wonderful' accommodations Tartarus had to offer." He said in dark sarcasm.

"When I finally got here, I hit the side of a black mountain, where I then woke up to see my captor and tormentor for the next 75 years or so. _Kronos_." He hissed that name with venom.

"For the next 75 years, he tortured me in ways that you can not even imagine. He cut me, stabbed me, burned me, and pierced my flesh a variety of weapons. He got creative and found out about my fear of drowning in the muskeg. He filled a tank full of water and mixed just enough mud in to wear I couldn't breathe and would drown me every single day of those 75 years." He said in pain, with tears of anguish streaming down his face.

"That and when he cut me with his scythe was the worst. If I wasn't immortal, I have not doubt I would be dead and my soul would be sliced to ribbons." He shuddered at the horrific memories.

"One the last day when he finally let me go, he had a black dagger that he stabbed into the back of my hands, which is where I got these tattoos from. The dagger had a curse that it gave me, to where whatever monster I killed, I would absorb their essence and become that monster. I tried for so long to stay away from monsters so the curse would near be activated, but it's freaking Tartarus! This is the monsters home town!" He yelled out exasperated throwing his hands in the air.

"It was only a matter of time before I came across a monster a would be forced t kill it. So far, I have absorbed the essence of a hellhound and three Laestrygonian Giants. That's why my appearance looks more…feral and…animalistic. The hellhound essences fused with the giants have changed me and the killing atmosphere of Tartarus doesn't hurt as much anymore. I am more monster now than demigod. I still have all my demigod abilities, but not the monster side of me is adapting to Tartarus."

"The worst part is that the monster's instincts and killing nature is fighting within my mind, trying to take over and kill everything in its path. I can feel it changing my personality too! It's awful, girl. It's the worst thing that has ever happened to me!" Percy whispered brokenly.

He suddenly threw his bowl of soup at the opposite wall, where it hit with a loud clang. "Damn the Olympians and their damn pride and paranoia! Damn them!"

Percy could feel the change come upon him and he made no move to stop it. He shifted into the form of a hellhound and howled. Mrs. O'Leary just stared in shock as her master and friend shifted into a raving hellhound right before her and she was a little terrified.

She slowly crept forward to hellhound Percy and brushed against his side. He immediately stopped his howl and looked at her with blazing red eyes full of animalistic fury. The anger slowly drained out of his eyes and turned to his regular color of sea green, yet he remained in the form of the hound.

"_Thanks Mrs. O'Leary." _He said gratefully.

"_It's no problem master." _She replied. Percy just shook his head.

"_Please. Just call me Percy. I don't like anyone calling me master. Now that I can understand you, we can finally talk!" _He said excitedly.

The sat together in a comfortable silence until Mrs. O'Leary spoke again.

"_Since you are now a…monster, and you have a hellhound form, why don't I teach you how to control your instincts and new powers?" _She offered.

Percy just sat there with widened eyes in shock, which looked kind of funny on his canine face coupled with his dropped jaw and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"_That'd be great! When do we start?" _He said eagerly, excited that he could gain some control over his curse.

She stepped back from him and looked at him with an evil look on her face.

"_Now"_

**And that is the end of chapter 3. So Mrs. O'Leary and Percy are together in Tartarus and thanks to his new forms, he can understand her and she offered to train him.**

**Will he get control over the monsters inside him? How many more monster forms will Percy get? Read to find out!**

**If you like this story, check of my other story titled "Betrayed Son of the Sea".**

**Please review!**

**Line Break**


	4. Dreams and Training

**Dreams and Training**

**Percy POV**_  
_

_I awoke to sunlight streaming down through the clouds right into my eyes. I was blinded for a moment and regained my senses. I looked around in shock at the destruction that lay around me. Trees were uprooted and splintered to pieces, the ground was ripped and torn up, and the river to my left was dry and barren, the very water blast out of its banks. What could have done this?_

_That's when I remembered the events that transpired yesterday; Annabeth cheated on me with my no-good half brother. I felt deep pain well up within the pieces of my heart as I heard her words that she was only using me and never loved me. Tears sprung to my eyes but I quickly blinked them back. I would NOT cry over her! She isn't worth it._

_A bright flash of light tore me out of my thoughts as I turned to the source of where the light came from. Standing in the clearing was Hermes and he did not look happy. He looked, dare I say it, very angry. I had only seen him this angry at the battle of Manhattan when he almost incinerated Annabeth because he accused her of not going with Luke to save him. What could have possibly made him angry to look like he is right now?_

"_Perseus," He said my name in a cold tone, "Your presence is required on Olympus immediately. I was sent here to get you."_

_Now I know something is wrong. Hermes always called me Percy. He never called me by my formal name before. What is going on?_

"_Umm ok, Hermes. But what for? Am I in trouble for something?" I asked confused._

_He looked at me with a glare. "Let's get going Perseus. We don't want to keep father waiting."_

_He grabbed my arm, a little too aggressively, and we flashed away to Olympus._

_We appeared in the Throne Room of Olympus and all the gods were already seated. I could tell something was off. The tension in the air was really thick and it all seemed to be pointed directly at me._

_Hermes left me in the middle of the throne room and walked to his throne, growing to his godly height of 15-ft. I stood there looking at some of the faces of the gods and all of them showed some level of hostility, anger, and hatred. All except Hestia, Hades, and Artemis, who looked just as confused as I was at to what was with all the hostility._

_Zeus sat on his throne, looking at me with his thunderstorm gray eyes that had flashes of electric blue streaks in it and the expression he was wearing was a mixture of anger and triumph._

"_Good of you to finally join us Perseus. Now that you are here I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to tell you why we have convened. So without further ado…SEIZE HIM!" Zeus thundered pointing his finger at me._

_Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Athena all jumped off their thrones with weapons out in full battle armor and rushed me. I was too shocked to do anything as they slammed into me, held me down, punched kicked, sliced, and chained me down on the floor. _

_I tried to fight back, but they caught me off guard and it was damn near impossible to fight four gods off at once, all in full battle armor, and two of them being war gods. When they moved away, I was covered bruises and cuts. My hands and feet were shackled in celestial bronze chains that were shackled to the floor._

"_What is going on?" I yelled at Zeus. "Why am I in chains? What did I do?"_

_I was silenced as Athena stepped for forward and slammed the butt of her spear into my mouth, snapping my head backwards. I pulled my head back forwards and spat a mouthful of blood on the floor._

"_What the Hades are you doing brother?!" Hestia yelled from her throne, her eyes that were usually full of comfort and kindness, were blazing in anger as she looked at her younger brother._

"_Why are you treating the Hero of Olympus like this? Get him out of those chains this instant!" She yelled at him._

_Zeus ignored her and stood up from his throne, pointing his master bolt at me._

"_Perseus Jackson! You stand her accused of crimes against the gods! You are accused of being a traitor and a spy of Gaea during the Second Giant War! You are also way too powerful to be allowed to live and are a threat to Olympus! How do you plead?" He voiced boomed throughout the throne room._

_I kneeled there in shock. "Are you serious? Are you freaking INSANE? I plead innocent! I was never a spy for Gaea and I would never betray Olympus! My fatal flaw is freaking loyalty dammit!" I yelled at Zeus my voice getting higher as each word crossed my lips._

_Ares punched me in the gut as Apollo cracked me upside the head with his quiver. Apparently they didn't like how I spoke to their daddy._

"_Apollo! Stop this madness right now!" Artemis yelled, "What do you all think you are doing to the only decent male out there? Have you forgotten all that he has done for us? He saved me from under the sky and he saved Olympus and the world twice over!" _

"_Sit down sis. This piece of sea scum is a traitor and he will get his just desserts just like his other brother, Orion." Apollo sneered at me. Artemis just looked at her twin in shock, before a look of anger crossed her face before she pulled out her bow and aimed an arrow at her brother._

"_Don't you even dare compare Perseus to that vile excuse of a human being, Orion. He is nothing like him!" She hissed at Apollo._

_Why is she even defending me? I thought she was a man-hating goddess and her she is defending me from her crazy family. I shouldn't be questioning it and just be thankful that I have some gods in my corner._

_I lifted myself from the floor and looked at my dad._

"_Dad, why aren't you defending me? I didn't do anything wrong. Please help me!" I asked him in a shaky voice full of pain._

_My dad just looked at me in disgust and hatred, His eyes, which were usually a brilliant sea green like mine were so dark that they almost looked black. Like the very bottom of the ocean floor, black._

"_You aren't my son, demigod. You are a traitor and a threat to my rule. You are far too powerful and would usurp me and my family's rule over the oceans. You are a disappointment and a mistake that should have never existed! You will be punished for this! You were never my son!" He said in voice like the Artic ice._

_Each word he said was like a knife plunging into my heart and chest over and over again. What was left of my heart shattered and I could feel the floodgates open as tears streamed down my cheeks. Hestia, Hades, and Artemis looked at my father in disbelief and they rest of the Olympians were nodding their heads in approval._

_Hades stood up from his throne in a fury. "Are you being serious Poseidon? Is your really that full of kelp that you would be that stupid and say such awful lies about your own son?" He seethed, his pitch black eyes were alight in rage._

_Poseidon stood up with his trident in hand. "Watch yourself Hades before I put you in your place." He threatened._

"_You really are that stupid. Anyone would be lucky to have Percy as a son. While I didn't like him at first he has proven himself time and time again, befriended my children, and brought me and Hestia the respect we deserve! And I will no sit idly by and let all of you do this! Bring it on _little _brother!" Hades shouted as he pulled out his Helm of Darkness._

"_ENOUGH!" Zeus thundered. "It is time to vote."_

"_Vote for what?" Hestia yelled, "You cannot seriously be thinking about punishing Percy for doing no wrong!"_

_Zeus ignored her. "Raise your hands if you believe Perseus is innocent and should not be punished." Hades, Hestia and Artemis raised their hands. I sent them an appreciative smile._

"_Who votes to send Perseus Jackson to Tartarus for being a traitor and a threat to Olympus?" Zeus asked. The remaining gods raised their hands and I could feel terror grip my heart. They were sending me back _there?_ Back to the place me and Annabeth escaped from? Back to the place where I still have nightmares about to this day? I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate._

"_It is decided. Perseus Jackson, for being a traitor and a threat to Olympus, we the council strip you of your title Twice over Hero of Olympus and sentence you to the pit for eternity!" _

_He pulled out his master bolt and shot me with it. Immense pain coursed through my veins as I could feel my mortal blood evaporate and change into ichor, the blood of the immortals._

_As I regained my bearing I saw all the gods that sentenced me to Tartarus were looking at me with hatred and loathing and were smiling at the fact I was in tremendous pain._

"_You are now immortal to live forever in suffering. Do you have any last words?"_

_I could feel something well up within my chest that I haven't ever felt before. Pure unbridled rage and fury._

_I looked at Hestia, Hades, and Artemis. "To you three, I thank you for trying to save me and not betray me. You three are the best Olympus has to offer and I am in your debt, and will remember you kindness." The three had looks of sorrow while Hestia was shedding tears of fire._

_I turned to the rest and felt the hatred and fury rear its ugly head._

"_To the rest of you I only have this to say. I was your pawn for more than five years. You used me, toyed with me, and made my life hell and I was still loyal to you, but no longer. I have saved your sorry, worthless asses twice now and this is the thanks I get? Screw all of you! To Poseidon I say, how could you? You were my father. All I ever done, I did to make you proud! But this is what you do you me? You are not my father and never will be again! To Tartarus with all of you!" I ranted until I was screaming at them with tears of anger pouring down my face. _

_I ended my rant with collecting as much saliva in my mouth and spitting directly at Zeus. I felt satisfaction as it traveled and hit him directly on his suit. All the gods were stunned that I showed that type of disrespect to the King of the Gods, but the three who voted to save me were looking at me with respect and awe. Hades was trying his best not to laugh._

_Zeus looked at the spit with a look of rage on his face. He roared in anger and blasted me back into the black hole that appeared behind me and everything went dark._

I woke up screaming as I clutched at my chest in pain. I looked down and saw that my hands had shifted and grown three-inch claws that were currently scratching at my chest. Gingerly, I pulled the claws away from my chest and focused them to go back to its regular form. The claws shrunk down into regular fingernails and I sat up wincing in pain as my sore muscles groaned in protest.

I had the dream again; the same dream that has plagued me for the past couple of years. Usually my dreams were about Kronos torturing me or all the horrors I have seen down here, but this dream was far worse. It was worse because it was the day I was betrayed and saw the looks of disgust on my families face. Sure half the time the wanted to kill me but I never thought they would actually send me down here. But that dream was worse than all the others; though the others are a close second.

I pushed the dream to the back of my mind and focused instead on what Mrs. O'Leary and I have been doing the past week. I never knew this about my sweet, lovable dog, but when she wants to be, she is a evil drill sergeant.

For the first day, all we focused on was just shifting into my hellhound form and trying it maintain it without the bloodlust and instincts overcoming me. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.

Sure in the past I was able to control it briefly, but I was always more ruthless and had killing intent like when I killed Joe Bob and his buddies. Sure i killed the other two like any normal demigod, but shifting and tearing out Joe Bob's throat? That was a little over the top. But the worse thing about it was that I actually liked it, relished it even. Feeling my teeth sink into his throat like it was made of wet toilet paper and ripping him to shreds filled me with a sadistic glee that terrified me.

Anyways, I shifted into my hellhound form and just stood there, focusing on not losing myself, but I was losing it. Soon I began frothing at the mouth and was about to charge Mrs. O'Leary when she lifted her massive paw and swatted my head, sending me flying into the cave wall and left me dazed.

We continued this for hours and hours all on the first day before I had a breakthrough. I just focused on what calms me the most, the vast rolling power and calm of the sea. Even though Poseidon disowned me, I still felt my connection to the sea and I used that connection to ground my mind and kept the instincts from overwhelming me.

After she was satisfied that I had it all under control, she then went on to the next lesson: Shadow-traveling. All Hellhounds, being creatures of the night and shadows have the ability to shadow travel. She instructed me to focus on shadow traveling into the cave, by picturing where I wanted to go and to focus on the shadows in our surroundings.

I calmed myself, and focused on my destination inside the cave. I stretched out my senses to the surrounding shadows and ran to the cluster of shadows by the outside cave, where I promptly smashed my nose into the stone. I could hear Mrs. O'Leary barking in the background that I could only guess was laughter.

I tried again and again hitting the wall quite a few times before I managed to do it. I felt the shadows swallow me up and cold wind rushed through my face before I popped directly inside the cave. About twenty feet above the floor. I was exhausted but felt really ecstatic that I was finally able to shadow travel. I gave Mrs. O'Leary a thumbs up right be fore I passed out.

Nico was right; with great power comes great need to take a nap.

I asked Mrs. O'Leary if it was possible for us to shadow travel out of Tartarus but she only shook her head. Apparently, while the pit allows for shadow travel inside the pit, just the massive pull around it canceled out any shadow traveling from a single mere hellhound.

We then moved on to fighting. If I was going to be a hellhound, I might as well fight like one. It would give me a huge advantage with my human brain and this monster body. That would be a deadly combination.

She pointed out all the vital areas on a hellhound: The throat, belly, eyes, and points connecting the legs to the torso. Strike any of those places and the beast would be maimed and/or killed.

After the lessons, we began a light spar. She was on one side facing me and I was on the other. She suddenly rushed at me and lunged, aiming for my throat. I jumped straight up, thinking I avoided her, but I felt her jaws close around my back leg and pull me down to the ground, where I collapsed into a heap.

I tried to regain my bearings and balance but I felt her teeth around my throat. She weren't squeezing but the message was clear, if she wanted to, she could tear out my throat and I would be dead.

"_You need to do better than that Percy. But you are getting better." _Mrs. O'Leary said as she got off of me. I shook my head and got up off the floor and we went at it again.

Lunge, jump, claw, swipe, bite! I was getting into a rhythm as we fought. I could feel the hellhound in me begin to merge with my mind and the fighting began to flow naturally.

Each time we fought, my reflexes and fighting skills got better. I realized something about myself at the end of a particularly, ferocious spar; I realized that I liked fight tooth and nail, clawing at my opponent, feeling the adrenaline rush as I swiped at her face or bit her leg.

It both exhilarated and terrified me on how much I was changing.

Not only was I working on my transformation as a hellhound but also as a Laestrygonian Giant. While I had no teacher to teach me on how to be one, I applied the same techniques as when I was in hellhound form. The instincts of a the giant were actually quite easy to dominate because it wasn't as…feral as the hellhound.

I practiced those celestial bronze cannonballs that I took when I killed Joe Bob and his group. Outside of my little cave, were clusters of rocks that I moved around to make fairly humanoid targets that I practiced my throwing skills.

I focused on the Laestrygonian Giant form that was now apart of me. My muscles bulged, hangs grew, legs extended and face shifted until I was an average sized Giant. I felt immense strength course through my limbs as I picked up a cannon ball. It felt like it weighed nothing.

I took aim at the closest target and threw it. It glanced off the side but what it did hit reduced that rock to powder. I flexed my hands and arms and focused on growing bigger, thinking of the other two giants I killed. Immediately, a pain spread throughout my body as I grew even more, my bones thickening, my muscles stretching beyond its limits and growing larger. Coarse hair grew on my arms and chest and my skin toughened even more. I looked down at my new body and saw I was at least 4 feet taller than normal giants. Looks like the curse allowed me to add and combine all the giants I killed until one huge form. I could either be normal sized or in an ultra form. This was gonna take practice.

Every night after I was done training with Mrs. O'Leary, I practiced with my new form and weapons. After each night, my accuracy, speed, and precision with the cannon balls got better and better. I could now stand 100 feet out and shoot of three cannon balls hitting dead center of the targets, all in less than three seconds. I had a total of 30 cannon balls and they were like my sword, returning to me after I fired them off. They even shrunk down to the size of marbles and a little leather pouch that I could carry around my waistband.

Pretty soon, I was able to shift from human to hellhound to Laestrygonian to Ultra Laestrygonian and back with no trouble at all. I still had trouble with the instincts at times but things were the best they have ever been since I was cast down here.

If only I knew that soon in the future my 'good luck' would run out.

**Well there's chapter four. So we see his dream of when the gods cast him down into Tartarus and Mrs. O'Leary training the snot out of him. We see that all three Laestrygonian giants he absorbed, can be combined to make him even bigger and more powerful. **

**Next chapter, he will get another form; who knows, maybe even two! We shall see.**

**He is getting a hold of his powers but as you can see, Tartarus and the new monster forms are slowly changing his personality. He will still maintain his good qualities to his friends, but he is growing more merciless and ruthless. He is relishing in the adrenaline rush of the power of the monster curse.**

**Check out my other story "Betrayed Son of the Sea" and please leave a review if you enjoyed this story!**


	5. The Tests and the Coliseum

**I have a poll up deciding which monster Percy should absorb and turn into next. This monster will be chosen for the next chapter. So vote!**

**The choices are:**

**-The Minotaur **

**-The Nemean Lion**

**-Chimera**

**-Medusa**

**-Cyclops**

**Now on with the story!**

**The Tests and The Coliseum. **

_**Previously…**_

_Every night after I was done training with Mrs. O'Leary, I practiced with my new form and weapons. After each night, my accuracy, speed, and precision with the cannon balls got better and better. I could now stand 100 feet out and shoot of three cannon balls hitting dead center of the targets, all in less than three seconds. I had a total of 30 cannon balls and they were like my sword, returning to me after I fired them off. They even shrunk down to the size of marbles and a little leather pouch that I could carry around my waistband. _

_Pretty soon, I was able to shift from human to hellhound to Laestrygonian to Ultra Laestrygonian and back with no trouble at all. I still had trouble with the instincts at times but things were the best they have ever been since I was cast down here._

_If only I knew that soon in the future my 'good luck' would run out._

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

It's been a year since I acquired my monster forms and found Mrs. O'Leary and things have never been better since I was banished here. I now had complete control over my two forms of the hellhound and the laestrygonian giant. I was able to shift between forms at will and was able to enhance the laestrygonian form by combing the essences of the three giants I killed together.

I practiced and practiced until I was able to shift a single part of my body at will. If I wanted, I could access the strength of a laestrygonian or the speed of the hellhound, the toughened skin of the giant or the sharp claws of teeth of the hellhound. I still haven't figured out to access both forms at the same time, but I figured that maybe the curse wouldn't allow that.

Shifting was tiring work and I usually had to rest after a really big shift like when I shifted into the huge laestrygonian giant, but the changes were becoming more and more natural with practice. Pretty soon, becoming a monster would require no energy at all.

Mrs. O'Leary still forces me to practice on my fighting techniques and shadow traveling, but I am so grateful that she is down here with me. While I wish she wasn't killed the way she was, having a companion down here that doesn't want to kill has been a blessing. I don't know how long I could have lasted down here and not go insane. She really helped deal with the loneliness.

I woke up and stretched my sore muscles. I had gotten really muscular from my constant training but it was all lean muscle. I wasn't overly bulked like those guys at the gym; I couldn't get overly bulked, there's not enough food down here for that. Mrs. O'Leary stirred as she sleepily looked at me, blinking her eyes trying to focus.

"Morning girl, how'd you sleep?" I greeted her, walking over to the fire pit and began cooking our daily meal of rat. I have to say, I really acquired a taste for the little critter, but that may be the monster in me.

She shook her head and looked at me irritated. "_How do you think I slept? You can hardly get a good night's sleep down here!" _She snapped. Oh yeah, she is not a morning person, which I found out the hard way.

I just chuckled and shook my head. "Well I slept _GREAT_!" I stressed the word great, knowing it would irritate her even more. I smiled as she got that doggy frown on her face.

"_Well we all can't sleep like the dead." _She replied back sarcastically as I laughed. _"I'm serious Percy, if I didn't know any better I would say you a rock or were dead. Only you could be able to sleep down here!" _

"Maybe, but that doesn't stop the nightmares." I said a little bitterly. I had nightmares all the time about my torture sessions with Kronos. I'm shocked I haven't completely lost it yet.

I shook of the somber mood before grinning. "Well come and get your breakfast before I eat it all again."

"_Breakfast?" _She said eagerly, as her foul mood evaporated and she rushed over to the got her attention. I once ate all the meat and soup one morning when she was completely passed out from a particularly hard training session and she chased me around the cave several times before pinning me to the ground. Learned to always leave food for her after that little prank.

As they ate their food, I began to ask her questions on training to day.

"So what have we got for training today girl? Shadow traveling to the farthest corners of Tartarus? Agility training through the black canyon of broken glass? Speed training along the River of Fire? Strength training by the rolling hills of woe? Or a spar in the makeshift fighting circle?" I asked her. Yeah, training down her is really intense, but what did you expect, running along pretty little hills and a babbling brooke? Not down here.

"_How about all the above?"_ She asked with a mischievous evil glint in her eyes.

"Oh come on! Everything? I'm exhausted after just doing one of those exercises!" I exclaimed.

"_I know that, but you are progressing in your training even more rapidly than I could have imagined. While you may be able to shift and have control in your hellhound form, you still need to train to be better and stronger. We are lucky to have gone this long without any monster attacks because you picked a great location for us, but that won't last. I hate to say this, but you're gonna be stuck down here for a really long time, like eternity, and the quicker you learn these skills, the easier it will be to survive down here."_ She said seriously.

I just sighed and nodded my head. While it was true I had gotten better at controlling the change, I still needed a lot of training and she was only trying to look out for me.

"Ok girl, when do we start?" I asked her already thinking of how many reps she'll have me doing of each exercise.

"_Right after breakfast. After we are done training, if you still have the energy, you can work on you weapons training." _She replied.

"Yes _mom._" I said. She did act like my mother at times and it was nice, even if the one being a mom is a giant dump truck sized hell dog.

I missed my mother so much. I don't think she knows I'm down here. I don't even know if she's alive anymore. It's been years since I was tossed down here and I never got to say goodbye. I could just picture _Poseidon_ going down and telling her the news that I was a traitor to Olympus. I could feel anger as rise up in me as I pictured my mom crying while Poseidon held her, looking smug as he spewed his lies. I pushed that scene and anger deep down. Sometimes if I got too angry, I would lose control and the monster would take hold.

After Mrs. O'Leary and I finished eating our measly breakfast, I went to change and get my weapons. Since my clothes have been torn and shredded beyond repair, I had to make and steal my own. I put on a pair of black and blue pants that were kind of ripped but they fit all right. I put on a shirt that I made from one of the hellhound pelts so it was actually pretty soft and fit really nicely, but I was really lucky that my pair of combat boots managed to survive though everything thrown at them.

After I was dressed I took inventory of my weapons. I had my trusty sword Riptide, the little bag of marbles that grew into the 30 celestial bronze balls, and a celestial bronze club that shrunk down to the size of a baton. I placed all my weapons on my waist on my waist and in my pockets. You could never have too many weapons down here.

"Ready girl?" I asked.

"_Ready."_ She said. I then shifted into a hellhound and we began our training.

We started off with a five-mile run to our first destination, which was the Canyon of Broken glass. The run helped with our endurance and let me tell you, you want to achieve some wicked endurance, run five miles through the most inhospitable place on earth. The run, which I could have never done when I was just a demigod, was actually pretty easy. Running this path for the past year has really built up my endurance and resistance to the killing effects of Tartarus. It still hurt, but it was so much more manageable.

We raced each other to see who could get to the canyon first. I haven't lost my competitive spirit and Mrs. O'Leary gained one after we began our little training sessions.

I reached the canyon first, just barely beating Mrs. O'Leary and I looked down at the canyon. No matter how many times I saw it, it still left me in awe and horror.

The canyon was about two miles across and twenty-five miles long. It was about a mile deep and was filled with bits of pieces of broken glass and sharp jagged black rocks Running through the bottom of the canyon was a river of boiling magma that snacked along the bottom. Lifting up from the canyon floor were a series of black stone pillars, each with a diameter ranging from eight feet to six inches. The sides of the cannon had sharp cliffs that if you slipped you would be sliced on the way down. The magma river snacked its way through the pillars, sometimes rubbing against them, wearing them down. I watched as one of the pillars slowly fell over as the magma finally cut through the stone.

I remembered the first time I tried this agility test and I was picking pieces of glass out of my backside for a week. I still have the scars from the first time. Thank Hestia, (I refuse to say gods) that with the shifting, injuries healed rather rapidly.

"_Ok, so the first one across wins, loser has to sleep on the ground, winner gets the pelts to sleep on?_" I challenged, knowing that she couldn't resist a good challenge.

"_Deal. You're so gonna lose" _I could hear the smirk in her voice.

"_On the count of three, one, two, THREE_." I yelled tensing my muscles and launching myself at the first pillar.

I jumped from pillar to pillar, my paws and claws helping dig into the black stones, giving me a good grip. I flew across those pillars, never staying in one place for more than a second. It was a rush, feeling my paws scrim across the differing widths of the pillars, watching as the Magma River and broken glass rush beneath me.

I turned and saw Mrs. O'Leary a few feet to my left, just a little behind me and I smirked my doggie smile. That was when I made my mistake. Just as I launched myself, my paw slipped of the six-inch platform and I started to fall down towards the magma river.

I felt panic rise up within me, but shoved it down, as it wasn't going to help me. I twisted my body in the air and just before I hit the ground I latched onto the side of one of the pillars, my claws digging into the stones, stopping my fall. I looked up and saw Mrs. O'Leary pulling away and I growled. Not wanting to give up I looked up and located the nearest pillar.

Tensing my legs, I launched myself over to the pillar, hitting and pushing off the side and bounding upwards over to the next one. I used every bit of my agility to twist my canine body and jump upwards from pillar to pillar, all the while going forward. Giving one final push, I launched myself to the top of one of the pillars behind Mrs. O'Leary and trailed behind her.

We were getting closer and closer to the other side and I gave one final burst of speed, jumping over her and landing on the other side of the canyon just a second before her. I collapsed on the rocky ground, breathing heavily.

"_I *pant* won *pant*" _I got out, trying to get my breath back.

While she didn't look happy that she lost, she did look immensely proud.

"_Great job Percy. I saw what happened back on the pillars and I have to say that that was an amazing display of agility and speed." _She said, pride shining in her eyes.

I shifted back to human to recover some energy and pulled out a canteen of water that I got from the cave. I took a long drink from it, wiping the sweat from my brow. After I drank my fill, I turned to her with a smile.

"I had a pretty good teacher. I could have never done that a few months ago." I replied back feeling a small blush on my cheeks at her praise.

"_While I did help, you were the one that pushed yourself to your limits. Now get up, we have a few more exercise to do!" _She barked at me, going from praising mother to drill sergeant in two seconds flat.

I nodded and shifted back to hellhound, before we took off to our next destination. The next place for training was the rolling hills of woe.

We arrived at the hills and like the canyon, they were a sight that will never cease to amaze and terrify me. They couldn't even be called hills, looking more like giant black mountains with jagged black cliffs and ledges. I get the theme now. A lot of the things down here were black with jagged black rocks.

They were called the Hills of Woe because the River Acheron, the literal river of woe, rolled through the hills, thousands of souls screaming out in sadness and despair. Not to mention the hundreds of monsters and mortals that were stabbed to the sides of the mountains with spikes, as all of them had part of their body in the river, making them feel all the sorrow in their lifetime.

I shivered at the sounds but steeled my mind. Not only was this a great place to practice physical strength due to all the boulders with varying weights, but it was a great method to increase one's mental strength.

Even from hear, I could feel the river whisper in my ear that all life was meaningless, it was just one giant letdown, singing sorrow and despair right in my ears. And trust me when I say, I had a lot of sorrow the river could exploit.

Shaking my head, I rose up my mental barriers and drowned out the insistent whines of the river and went up to my first boulder.

"_For you strength test Percy, all you have to do is roll those 20 boulders up over the five mountains within the next three hours. The when you are down, you will have an hour and 30 minutes to bring them back in your laestrygonian form. Ready set GO!" She instructed me._

I placed my massive, furry shoulder and began to push the boulder. The first five weren't that hard, seeing as they were pretty light compared to most things I've carried in my life. The next five were slightly harder and I could feel my muscles begin to strain a little. The 11th-15th boulders were really starting to test my strength as I rolled them over the hills. The hills increased in height, with the first being 500 feet with the last being over 2000 feet.

I had and hour left and five of the heaviest boulders to roll, each weighing close to two tons. Yeah they were heavy and hellhounds are freaking strong. The last four of the five I managed to push through the hills but my muscles were burning. I could feel the strain start to get to them so I ran back to get the final boulder. I had 10 minutes left and I was pushing with all my might. The River Acheron was really starting to grate against my mind, but I steeled it once more and kept pushing. I managed to push the twentieth boulder across the last hill with two minutes to spare.

I collapsed to the ground, my muscles feeling like they went through a shredder and was now jello.

"_Come on Percy! Shift to the giant and let's go! You only have an hour and 30 minutes left!"_ I heard Mrs. O'Leary call.

I groaned but flipped over and shifted into a regular laestrygonian. I felt the burning in my muscles lessen as I felt the immense strength of the giant course through my body. I picked up the first two boulders and took off.

The task of getting the boulders back over the hills was much easier as a laestrygonian and I was able to complete the task with 15 minutes to spare. My muscles were still on fire but I felt great. I just accomplished something that I have been trying to do since the beginning of training.

"_Great job Percy!_" Mrs. O'Leary congratulated me. _"Take 15 minutes and then we will move on to the speed portion of your training."_

I immediately plopped onto the floor, shifting back to my regular form and closed my eyes and took a quick power nap. When the 15 minutes were up, Mrs. O'Leary woke me up. I fished out my canteen out of my pocket and dumped the contents on my head. I immediately felt my strength return and the aches and pains lessen. Shifting back to a hellhound we took of once more for the final test.

We arrived by the River Phlegethon, the River of Fire, and I got ready for my speed test.

"_Ok Percy, for this test you are going to run until you reach 80 miles an hour. You will run along the River Phlegethon, to give you extra incentive to run." _She told me as I looked at her in disbelief.

"_You got to be kidding me! There's no way I can run that fast! I barely broke 50 mph and now you want me to do 80?! That 's impossible!"_ I yelled out.

She smacked me on my nose, which as a dog, really hurts!

She fixed her glare on me, which is actually really terrifying with her blood red eyes.

"_You can and you will!_" She commanded me. I just shivered at her glare and sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. I just walked over to the edge of the flaming river and got ready.

"_GO!"_ She yelled out and I took off. I felt the poisonous air flow directly in my face, but my body had longed since become accustomed to the atmosphere of Tartarus. I push my leg muscles faster and faster, things blurring as my speed increased. I could tell I was going about 70 mph and I was shocked; never had I ran this fast before. I pushed my self harder and harder, feeling the muscles in my legs and back straining.

I was leaping great bounds as distance fell away. I circled back around and was racing as fast as I could back to Mrs. O'Leary. My speed increased, 80, 90, 100, I was going faster with each second. The sensation was incredible. I could feel my inner monster howl in delight and I expressed it by lifting my head and howling. I pushed myself to my limits and I heard a massive boom as I shot forward with an unbelievable amount of speed and appeared directly in front of Mrs. O'Leary. I promptly collapsed and looked up at her to see a smug look adorning her face.

Breathing heavily I gasped out. _"You…want to…tell me…what…the Hades…that was?" _I panted out, my tongue hanging out of my mouth as the air steamed from my breath.

She started to laugh and bark. Apparently what I just did was very funny to her.

"_You recall how centaurs travel? How they are able to move great distances at great speeds? While hellhounds are much slower than them, we have the same ability to an extent. Think of us as the Sprinters and them as the Marathon Runners. They can hold it for a very long period of time while we can only hold it for short periods of time." _ She explained smiling.

My brain was trying to process this new information. It actually made a lot of sense; Hellhounds are canines and canines can go run in quick bursts of speed while Centaurs are half-horse and horses can run great distances for long periods of time. So if dogs and horse are made into monsters, why not their abilities be increased to monstrous proportions as well?

"And…the boom I heard back there?" I asked, shifting back to human.

"_Sonic boom. You were able to break the sound barrier. That is the peak of hellhound speed. Congratulations Percy, you passed all the tests of a hellhound." _She said with pride.

I smiled hugely as I rushed forward and wrapped her up in a big hug. She laughed as she licked my face in happiness.

"Ready to go home girl?" I asked.

She nodded. "_We'll go the quick way. Hop on."_ She said.

I climbed onto her back and she ran into a shadow, shadow-traveling us right back to the entrance of the cave.

Once we arrived, I went over and got the fire going once again and walked into the cave and got our dinner. To celebrate, I brought out six rats the size of cats and roasted them over the fire. As soon as they were done, I gave Mrs. O'Leary 4, since she was so much bigger than me, and had two for myself.

I lifted my makeshift cup of stone, filled with water I got from the cave and purified with my powers.

"A toast, to a successful day of training and hopefully, one day we can get out of this gods-forsaken place." I said, while she lifted her paw up in the air.

We ate in comfortable silence and reminisced on the world above. The things I miss the most up there were my mom, the sea, and the stars. My mom I missed for obvious reasons. I missed the sea because even though my father disowned me, he was right about one thing; what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea. The sea was a part of me and I could feel my body yearn for its embrace.

The last thing that I missed the most were the stars. I thought back to the first time I was down here and remembered Bob, aka Iapetus. I understood him better now when he told me to tell the stars hello for him. Just looking up a back cavern ceiling with blood red clouds was a horrible sight to look at and makes you miss the open sky and the stars twinkling like glowing firelight.

I missed him and Damasen so much. They sacrificed themselves to allow me and_ her _to go through the Door of Death while they stayed behind to fight Tartarus! If it is possible, I will find them down here if they are alive but I just don't know what happened. I pray they are all right wherever they are.

I finished eating at stood up. "I'm gonna go practice with my weapons and my powers. I'll call if I need anything." I told Mrs. O'Leary.

She nodded and continued to nibble on her rat meal. Beside was something I found for her for desert; it was a giant leg bone, probably from a Drakon or something.

I walked around to the outside of the back of our cave. Back there was a decent sized lake that had surprisingly, relatively clean water. It was still kind of polluted but it was like a gift down here. This lake was where I practiced my powers over water. In addition to my weapons training and training with my monster forms, practicing my powers were a must.

I know, I practice a lot down here, but what else is there to do? Not much.

With all the practicing I've done, my powers over water have increased ten-fold. Not only have my powers over water increased but my powers over the earth increased as well. Since Poseidon is the Earthshaker, I realized that I could create earthquakes and landslide. If I focused really hard, I could make the earth do as I command as well, but my skill was still crude and nowhere near as powerful as a child of Hades.

Focusing on the water, I stepped into the lake. I immediately felt that familiar surge of power and energy that water always brings me. I focused on the water and all the pollutants and toxins were expelled from the water. As long as I willed it, the water would remain clean, but as soon as I leave, the water would revert back to it's usual state.

Holding out my hand, I willed the water to form multiple tendrils of varying sizes. Streams of water responded to my commands and flowed upwards into the air. I manipulated the water to form different shapes and sizes and I got so good at it that they figures looked real but just as liquid.

I dispersed all the tendrils except for three thick ones. This power I developed after the first few months. I focused on the first stream of water and hardened it, freezing it into ice. I kept the middle tendril as a liquid and focused on the third one. I willed the water to transform into water vapor. A cloud of vapor, still in the form of a tendril was standing right before me.

I had formed three tendrils of water and was controlling them in their three states of matter all at the same time. I then forced them to twist around each other and form one giant column of water, with three separate layers of ice, water, and vapor. This was an attack that I was perfecting called the Three State Strike. I lashed the whip towards a large boulder behind the cave and the water carved in up and reduced it to rubble with a loud boom.

I felt pleased with myself, as my powers got stronger and stronger over time. I focused on the ground and made the earth shake slightly before increasing the power. I kept the quake secluded to that one spot and kept adding power until the spot was reduced to a perfect circle of sand.

Feeling that I had practiced enough for the day I was about to leave when I felt the hairs on the back of next stand up. Without thinking, I lashed out sending a massive wave behind me, just in time to intercept a hammer that was aimed for my head. I looked up to see a group of 10 Cyclops, all looking at me like I was a prize.

But something was off; the look in their single eyes weren't on of hunger, it was a look of finding someone that they were going to kidnap and sell.

My suspicions were confirmed when the largest Cyclops, who I assumed was the leader, spoke.

"Do not worry little demigod. We will not eat you, but you better come with us lest we hurt you." He sneered at me in his deep gruff voice. It sounded like he gargled with rocks on a regular basis.

I responded by forming a floating spear of ice and launching it one of the Cyclops beside him, striking him in the eye and going directly into his brain, killing him. He exploded into golden dust where the dust was promptly absorbed my glowing tattoos on my hands. Great I now had ANOTHER monster form.

"Oh, this one will do _exceptionally _well in the Arena." The leader said with a sick smile while his buddies laughed.

"Oh yeah! Keep laughing gruesome! You're about to wish you were never born!" I said smirking, as his face grew purple with rage. I knew what was about to happen and I couldn't wait to see the look on his face.

I felt the familiar changes come over me as I increased in height, strength similar to the Laestrygonian's surge through me. My skin toughened but I felt a new tingling quality to it. I then remembered that Cyclopes were fire proof so that's what it was. Muscles bulged and I felt my body expand to fit my new massive frame. My face was morphing as I felt my teeth crack, yellow, and grow. I bet my teeth were now and orthodontist's worse nightmare. Then came the weirdest part, my eyes began to grow closer and closer together as they merged into a single large sea green eye. I had no idea that a Cyclops sight was so vivid! I could see so much better. If I focused I could see heat signatures and in the ultraviolet spectrum! It was so surreal.

I was now a massive Cyclops. My head was suddenly assaulted with the Cyclops' memories and knowledge. I could see all the knowledge he possessed over his lifetime. Cyclops' were masters of the forge and I now had the knowledge over one. I felt like I could now fix anything! Oh this was going to be fun!

The remaining nine Cyclops were staring at me with a mixture of shock, awe, fear, and happiness. They looked like they hit the jackpot.

"Master will REALLY want him for the Games now! GET HIM!" The leader yelled as they all rushed me.

Shifting back to my regular form, I pulled out Riptide and charged at them. The first one was stupid and ran right me with his arms straight out as if he was going to bear hug me. I stabbed him in the chest, where he exploded into golden dust, which I then absorbed.

The others were slightly smarter and brought out giant hammers. One took a swing at me, which I flipped over, morphing my hand into hellhound claws, and swiped them across his throat. He went down hard, clutching his torn throat, but I moved on to the others. I turned around only to get hit in the face with a sledgehammer.

I stumbled back but kept my balance. The Cyclops that hit me was stunned that I took a hammer blow to the face and didn't immediately go down. I smirked slightly. That was a sting compared to some of the pain I felt at Kronos's hands. Looked like all the torture sessions and training had dulled down my sense to pain.

"Mommy." He squeaked out as he looked at me.

I smiled sadistically before capping my sword and rushed him. I jumped and shifted to a hellhound halfway in the air before I landed on the monster. His single brown eye was filled with terror, as the last he was were my teeth as I ripped his head savagely from his body. I felt hammer blow hit me in the side, sending me flying into the side of the stone wall.

I jumped up immediately and ran at the Cyclops that hit me. He was able to keep me at bay with his hammer before I grabbed it with my teeth and ripped it from his grasp.

"Get the darts! The Darts! Th-ACK!" He cried out before I swiped my claws across his chest and abdomen. I then bit down on his arm as he screamed in pain. Smiling in sadistic glee, I bit down harder and tore his arm from his body.

The Cyclops screamed in agony, clutching the stump that was once his arm.

I had never felt so powerful, so satisfied, so…feral. I enjoyed the pain he inflicted on the monsters. I enjoyed the screams of pain and agony coming from them. My instincts were screaming at me to maul, destroy, tear them apart. I gave into the demands and let the hellhound take control.

The monster rushed forward and mauled the crying Cyclops, turning him into hamburger meat. I turned around and snarled at the remaining five who were fumbling with some sort of plastic tube and darts.

I rushed forward and tore out the throat of one of the Cyclopes and thrusted his paw through the chest of the other. Seven monsters killed in less than two minutes? That was a record. I threw back his head and howled and felt the Cyclops blood run through my paws.

Feeling the blood on my paws and blood in my teeth, I snapped back to my senses and felt the monster in me retreat to the back of my mind. I stumbled back in shock at how badly I lost control. I started to shake and couldn't move as my mind processed how brutal and cruel I was in delivering the deaths of the monsters.

That one second of hesitation was all the remaining three Cyclops needed as two of them rushed forward and hit me with both hammers in a powerful overhead swing. The two powerful blows hit me dead on the head, dazing me for a moment. Before I could recover, I felt a pinprick in the side of my neck followed by another.

I shifted back to human and stumbled backwards feeling my neck. I pulled out to darks coated in a clear fluid. I began to feel drowsy and sleepy and tried to fight it off the effect of whatever they injected me with

"He's fighting the sleeping potion! Hit him again boss!" He heard a voice yell.

"That's impossible!" He heard the gruff voice of the leader yell.

I felt three more stings hit me in the chest. I reached up to pull them off only to find my hand was numb.

"Whaah ya doh ta meh?" I slurred out, feeling the numbness spread to my tongue.

"Just injected you with a powerful sleeping potion. You'll be out like a light soon enough." He said as an ugly smile split his ugly face.

I fell down and felt as if all my limbs weighed a ton. I tried to shift but my mind was getting cloudy and I couldn't focus. I saw were the six piles of dust get absorbed into my black glowing tattoos, before my eyes began to close.

"You will be an excellent addition to the games demigod. An excellent addition indeed." Was the last thing I heard before the blackness consumed me.

**Line Break**

I awoke to find my hands shackled with Stygian Iron chains and I was wrapped up in a golden net being dragged along the ground. I could feel cut sand bruises I got from the fight and from my rough treatment at the hands of my captors.

"So the demigod awakens." I heard someone say. "Good, I thought with that dosage of sleeping venom that you would be out for the next five days. Looks like your system was able to flush it out in six hours."

"Who are you? Where are you taking me?" I yelled as I struggled with my bonds. Even adding in my Cyclops enhanced strength, I couldn't break them.

"Well, my name is Butch and I am the leading hunter for fresh meat for the games. As for where we are taking you, well let's just say it is a place where plenty of people will pay to see you suffer Perseus Jackson." He said as he laughed.

I felt myself stiffen. These guys knew who I was. Who am I kidding; OF COURSE monsters would know who I am! I sent about half the mythological world down hear so of course my name and face would be on their most wanted list!

I continued to struggle before a fist slammed into my face. I shook it off and glared at the newly christened, Butch, who looked at me in distaste.

"Don't even think about escaping boy. That net negates all powers while you are trapped in it. It was made by Hephaestus himself and is one of a kind." He said proudly.

Great, even when I'm as far away from the gods as humanly possible, they STILL manage to screw with me.

I continued to question them but they just ignored me as they dragged me further and further down into the darker parts of the pit. The landscape was slowly changing going from the black barren landscape, to black obsidian rock with sharp spikes erupting from the ground. It continues to get darker and darker as we went further and further down into the pit. The temperature continued to drop and I could feel the pressure increase on my body.

There seemed to be a pulsing in the air as I felt old power and evil stir within this place. The monsters in me were relishing in the darkness and I could feel them feeding on the pulsing evil in this place.

After what seemed like hours, I saw a light in the distance that was our destination. Dragging me over to a cliff outcropping, the sight was enough to terrify me.

Down below was a massive arena made of stone, iron and bones. It had to be at least three miles in diameter and about the height of two empire state buildings. Yeah I was huge. Torches were lined up all along the walls, all ranging in different colors. There were torches that had regular, orange and red fire, others with blazing green Greek fire, to some torches with fire I had never seen before. This torches had glowing purple, blue, and black fire.

It reminded me of the coliseum in Rome that Jason and me fought the twin giants in, but multiplied by 100 in size and looked like it came from a horror film. There were thousands of arches and columns supporting the massive arena. Within the arches, I could see many were inlaid with skulls and bones of mortals. Some of them had bigger bones that must have come from monsters. So it looks like the losers had their bones torn from their bodies to decorate this nightmare of a building.

"There's your new home demigod. Don't worry, you won't last very long." Butch and his buddies laughed as the pushed me down the slope. I hit the bottom with a loud thump and groaned before more thumps were heard behind me. Butch and his cronies caught up to me.

They continued to drag me down the path to the massive doors of the arena. The doors had to be at least ten stories high and were made from a mixture of celestial bronze, imperial gold, and stygian iron.

What frightened me the most was what was on the pathway leading to the coliseum. There were literally tens upon tens of thousands of monsters all streaming through the massive doors. I knew that there was no chance of escape cause even though I'm powerful; I know I couldn't take on this behemoth horde of monsters.

"Make way! Fresh meat coming through!" Butch and his cronies yelled out shoving his way through the throngs of monsters.

The ones closest to us began to through jeers and taunts my way, sometimes throwing some disgusting mush that I prayed were tomatoes.

"Fresssssh meat! Thissss will be fantassssstic" A dracaena hissed out.

"He looks absolutely delicious." An Empousa said, licking her lips seductively as she eyed me in hunger and lust.

"Little punk. He'll be creamed the first round." A laestrygonian said disinterested.

"Oh great Echidna! Don't you all know who that is?" A Telekine yelled out, obviously freaked out, "That's the son of Poseidon, Perseus Jackson!"

At the sound of my name, all conversation ceased. Then as one, a collective roar issued from the mass of monsters as they surged forward, wanting to rip me to shreds. I could hear them chanting for my death as I saw unadulterated murder flash in their eyes.

"Back! Back I say! You'll all get your chance in the arena! He will suffer I promise you!" Butch yelled out, pushing them aside.

While it settled the crowd down a little bit, I still felt plenty of cuts, bruises, and kicks rain down on me.

I was finally dragged though the doors and they took me on a series of curving and twisting pathways leading to only gods know where.

We stopped in front of a pair of massive doors. The doors were incredible and horrible at the same time. On the doors were detailed and gruesome scenes of destruction; volcanoes erupting in Pompeii, the massive earthquake that hit California back in the early 1900s, Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, and the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade center.

It was a horrifying bunch of images that seemed alive and played out the destruction over and over again. Butch knocked on the door and a thunderous voice sounded from the other side.

"ENTER!" It boomed.

The doors opened up and I got a look at the figure in front of me. Not many immortals intimidated me, but this guy just radiated evil and destruction.

I could immediately tell he was a titan from the aura he was giving off. He stood at an imposing 10 feet in height and I could tell that that was his shrunk down mortal size. He had huge muscles all over his body, showing that he worked out and battled constantly. He had so many scars on him, showing he was a seasoned fighter and that he was not afraid to get into the thick of it. He wore what seemed to be a mixture of armor, assassin, and casual clothes.

He wore black, steel toed combat boots, with some wicked looking spikes on the tips. He wore black army pants with multiple pockets that were filled with what I could only assume were his multiple weapons. The shirt he was wearing was blood red with steel chains crisscrossing over his torso. He wore a sleeveless black jacket, with fingerless gloves. The overall look just said danger.

His face was by far the worst. He had a cruel looking face, with scars and sharp angles defining his face. He had a big nose and a cruel smile, flashing perfect white teeth. His hair was a deep brown that had a reddish hue to it, giving it a flaming look. This guy's face reminded me of Ares, but so much worse and evil.

But if you weren't scared before, his eyes are what sealed the deal. They were a mixture of fire red and frost blue. They continued to swirl back and forth between the two colors and the weirdest thing is that I could feel the effects each color represented. His blood red eyes made me feel like my skin was starting to burn while his frost blue eyes made it seem like I was slowly freezing.

He locked those eyes onto me and I felt like his stare was boring straight through my own, directly into my soul. The look in his eyes said it all; he was insane. Completely and utterly insane. He enjoyed the destruction of the world and would be an agent of that destruction.

"Welcome to the Arena of the Pit" He sounded pleasant, as if he were a host welcoming a new guest. His voice sounded deep and like a baritone but underneath it was an undertone of malice.

"I guess you must be wondering who I am young one. Allow me to introduce myself." He said with a mock bow.

"My name is Perses, Titan of Destruction." He said with a sadistic smile.

Oh Crap.

**And there is chapter 5. Left you with a little cliffhanger there. **

**So he is in the most evil and deadly place in all of Tartarus, The Arena of the Pit. He has met Perses, who is an incredible deadly and evil titan; a monster in his own right.**

**Let's see what new adventures and tortures Percy will face now he is stuck here.**

**So if you all were wondering, how Percy got captured, the Cyclops hunters used a powerful sleeping potion on him to knock him out. The reason why he couldn't get away was that the net he was trapped in made it so he couldn't use any of his powers and disabled his curse for a short while. There is only one net.**

**So Percy has a new monster form: The Cyclops. He will get some unexpected surprises with that form.**

**Hope you guys like this chapter and many more surprises are on the way.**

**My other story "Betrayed Son of the Sea will be updated, hopefully by sunday.**

**Please review!**


	6. Deal with the Devil and First Fight

**So the votes are in and the Nemean Lion is his next form he will absorb! Now on with the chapter!**

**Deal with the Devil and First Fight**

_**Previously…**_

_He locked those eyes onto me and I felt like his stare was boring straight through my own, directly into my soul. The look in his eyes said it all; he was insane. Completely and utterly insane. He enjoyed the destruction of the world and would be an agent of that destruction._

"_Welcome to the Arena of the Pit" He sounded pleasant, as if he were a host welcoming a new guest. His voice sounded deep and like a baritone but underneath it was an undertone of malice. _

"_I guess you must be wondering who I am young one. Allow me to introduce myself." He said with a mock bow._

"_My name is Perses, Titan of Destruction." He said with a sadistic smile._

_Oh Crap. _

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

Perses, the Titan of Destruction was standing right before me, smiling like we were old time pals. If it weren't for his looming height and sadistic look in his eye, he would actually look like a big brother of sorts. A big brother that likes to hold you down and torture you with really sharp and pointy objects.

Perses waved his hands at the guards, signaling it was time for them to leave. They bowed low to the ground and left the room, closing the doors behind them. I was now alone with the massive titan who didn't even seem to consider me a threat. He just walked over to his desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. That was when I finally got a good look of the room.

The room was massive, probably has to be considering his large size. The ceiling was fifty feet above us and depicted pictures of gruesome tortures, all painted in dark and blood red colors. The ceiling was dome shaped and massive black marble columns were along the sides, supporting the roof. There was a wooden desk off to the side that had a bunch of weird looking knick-knacks on it. There was a hellhound skull, the eyeball of a Cyclops, fangs of an Empousa, and a lot of other things floating in the jars. They seemed like trophies, really really gruesome trophies. On the other side of the room was a king size bed. Well, looks like even destructive titans need to sleep every once in a while.

Adorned along the walls were portraits of all different kinds of people. I actually recognized a few; there was Kronos with his golden eyes and soul-reaping scythe, Hyperion glowing a harsh golden fire, and Oceanus in his deep dark blue almost black armor wielding his massive serpent swords. But the biggest two pictures were of a man in black Stygian iron armor with stars shining brightly on the surface. He wore a helmet shaped like a ram's head with horns on top of it. The picture next to it was of a beautiful woman with long black hair, deep ocean blue eyes, and a tan complexion. The only thing that ruined the woman beauty was the cruel smile on her lips and the insane twinkle in her eyes. Looking at Perses and the pictures he could tell that these were his parents; Krios Titan of Stars, Constellations, and the South, and Eurybia, Goddess of the mastery of the seas.

Turning back to Perses, I saw he was looking at him expectantly.

"So, little demigod, would you like a glass? I know that you may be physically underage by a year or two, but considering how much time you spent in Tartarus, well, it will probably be the best thing you've ever drank." Perses joked as he poured two glasses of whiskey.

I just stared at this massive titan and was shocked at how he was acting, usually when titans first meet me they all shout out death threats and try to kill me. This dude was actually offering a drink.

"Umm…sure I guess." I said uneasily. I immediately tried to shadow travel out of there but it wasn't working; it felt like I was hitting a brick wall.

"Don't bother trying to shadow travel out of here, young one. All forms of magical transportation is disabled inside the Arena. Wouldn't want all our fighters and prisoners to escape before the big fight no?" He smiled, like he was just discussing the weather.

He walked over and handed me my glass of whiskey. I looked at it skeptically before shrugging and downing it. I doubted it was poisoned; just spending a few seconds with this immortal and I could tell that poisoning wasn't his forte.

The whiskey made a pleasant burn as it slid down my throat. After years of eating rats, drinking dirty water from my little lake and the River of Fire, that was nothing.

"Ah, I see someone knows how to down his liquor. That'll be good considering your immediate future. Best to get all the pleasure you can." He said, downing his own glass of whiskey.

I nearly chocked. "Uh…what do you mean by immediate future? Why am I here and why did you kidnap me?" I snapped angrily, which may have been stupid of me but Perses just smiled extra wide and let out a booming laugh.

"HAHA! I like you little one! You got spunk talking to me like that! Usually every being that comes before always whimpers in fear and grovels at my feet. But not you. You don't any crap from nobody!" He laughed again as he pounded me on the back.

I couldn't have been anymore stunned than I already was. Here was this psychotic, sadistic titan joking and laughing like we were old drinking buddies.

"Where the hell am I?" I finally snapped and shouted at him.

He just laughed some more. "Oh yes! That fire in your spirit is exactly what we are looking for in the games. You see, when I heard that the gods sentenced their twice savior, that being you, down here, it was like Christmas morning for me. I am a huge fan of your work, all the destruction you brought forth over the years. That massive volcano eruption at Mount St. Helens? Brilliant work! Not to mention all the earthquakes, tsunamis, and blasts of power when you decimated that camp! Being the Titan of Destruction, I thrive on that sort of thing and you, my little friend, are like an agent of destruction! Even your name, Perseus, means 'The Destroyer'!

I was reeling trying to absorb what he said to me. So the reason why I'm not dead yet is because he has something big planned for me and he is of fan of all the destruction I caused over the years. Why are all the crazy people fans of me?

"So what are these big plans of yours that you have for me, Perses?" I asked him as soon as he stopped laughing.

He then smiled really big and his eyes filled with an insane gleam. "Well you see, Perseus, where we are now is what is known as The Arena of the Pit. This is a place where it is a free for all fight club of monsters; anyone can sign up, anyone can participate, and it is a fight to the death." He said with a far off look in his eye.

"Many monsters come from all over Tartarus to test their fighting skills and to hash it out with old enemies. And dear of great uncle Tartarus has given me the task of running the place and I could not be happier. All those fights and acts of destruction just feeds my power and it is delicious!" He cackled in insane glee.

"Now the fights have been getting a little dull lately; I mean after the two wars that we just had, you'd think they want to vent some anger but nooooo. So I sent out my guards to find some of the most dangerous, oldest, most powerful monsters in all of mythology and brought them here to fight. And then you fall into my lap. You will be the crown jewel of the Arena. With all the monsters after your blood, they will come from all over just to get a piece of you." He smiled maliciously at the thought.

I gulped. "And if I refuse to fight?" I said defiantly.

Perses just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Then you will die." He said simply.

"But I can't die. Zeus and the council made me immortal to suffer for eternity!" Percy yelled.

"Well that's the beauty of the Arena. If immortals fight here, and there have been plenty who have, if I deem it, I can make you mortal here and kill you for good. No reforming, no underworld, just sweet oblivion. I control what happens in the arena and mortality is a fickle as the shifting of winds or the changing of tides." He said ominously. I then realized how bad of an enemy it would be to make of Perses. He is insane and holds all the cards. If he wanted to he could kill me this instant and be done with me.

"But if you do fight for me and are killed, you will reform, but you will fight here, forever. Now what sounds like a better option huh?" He said holding his hand out for a handshake.

I looked at his hand like it was a bomb. I knew that if I took the deal, the gods would what they wanted after all, but this was for survival and I was going to survive.

"I guess I don't have a choice huh?" I said reaching out and shaking his hand. His hand had an iron grip to it but I applied some of my monster strength to it, making his eyes widen slightly and his smiled to grow.

"No you do not." He said. He then tightened his grip on my hand and I felt a new pain coarse through my system. I noticed a brand being carved into my skin, the letter P with little swirls forming around it. The swirls formed miniature scenes of destruction that shifted and flowed over my skin.

"You are mine now Perseus Jackson, and you will never leave this place." He whispered in my ear before I blacked out from the pain.

The next time I regained consciousness, I awoke in a cell. It was dirty and disgusting, with layers of dirt and grim decorating the walls. The only good thing about it was that it was spacious and had quite a few beds to it. It was at that moment that I realized that I wasn't alone.

Two of the bunks were occupied and the figures on them were huge. They looked vaguely familiar and I approached them to get a better view of their faces. They groaned in their sleep and rolled over facing me. I gasped in shock as I saw their faces.

The first figure was a tall and fit individual. Although he is covered in dirt and grime, his hair is still a wild silver color, his skin still retains a slight tan and his pure sliver eyes were as sharp as ever. His blue janitor's uniform was cut and shredded and the nametag was missing but I could still tell who it was.

The other figure was taller than the other by a good 10 feet but I recognized him instantly. He had cheery-red skin; his beard and hair were still iron rust red they always were. His dragon legs had multiple scars on them, but they were no less intimidating. His dreadlocks were decorated with tufts of leaves, grass, and swamp flowers along with the dirt and grim of the cell. Both figures starred at me with looks of shock and a little bit of hope.

"Percy?" The silver figure said in a hopeful tine. "Is that really you?"

"Perseus?" The red figure said in a raspy but still hopeful tone. "Is that you?"

I tried to speak but my throat was choked up with a bunch of emotions. I took a timid step forward. I had always figured they were dead, killed while battling Tartarus, saving _hers _and mine lives. It was my biggest regret and shame but here they are whole and very much alive.

"B-bob? Damasen? You guys are alive? You guys are here?" I said in a choked voice as I looked at my two long lost friends, tears of joy spilling down my cheeks.

They had tears falling down their cheeks too as their expressions shifted into ones of happiness.

"Yes my friend. It is us." Bob said as he held his arms open. Not hesitating a moment, I ran forward into their open arms, receiving a crushing bear hug from the two immortals as all three of us wept in silence, happy to be reunited once again.

**Line break (In the Throne Room of the Underworld)**

**Third Person POV**

Hades was sitting in his throne room and he was more gloomy than usual. Ever since the incident that happened a few months ago, the Olympians have been arguing more and more often. They picked fights over the littlest of things and frankly he was sick and tired of it.

The gods have also began to revert back to their old ways, not respecting the minor gods and shunning both him and Hestia once again. He finally took action and retreated back to the Underworld, where they wouldn't bother him.

Hades sighed and his heart felt heavy. He missed his nephew terribly and knew that the punishment he received and the accusations against him were total bull. His nephew had brought such change to the gods and for the first time in millennia, he was welcome to Olympus with open arms. Percy had wished for his and his beloved sister's thrones among the council and he felt such gratitude towards him for it. It was then that he and Percy began a proper family relationship. He would visit him in the Underworld, because even though he was allowed on Olympus, it still took time for the others to actually approach him.

Percy had no such problems. He befriended his children, Nico and Hazel, and later befriended him. He was welcome in his domain at any time and because of his influence, the Underworld became a better place. He even helped rekindle the love and fire between him and his wife, Persephone, and for that he was eternally grateful. He was an anomaly among all the heroes that have ever lived; not once in his immortal life did anyone offer him friendship and family love other than Hestia. The Percy came along and broke through the millennia old walls he surrounded himself in and made him finally open up.

Then he was banished to Tartarus and things went back to the way they were before, only this time he had tasted what he had always wanted: Companionship and acceptance. Without his nephew's influence, the gods were getting worse and worse. Zeus began to become even more egotistical than ever before but the others were acting weirdly.

Poseidon was in a deep depression at what he did to his favorite son. He said that he couldn't remember the reason why he said all those horrible things to his son but he couldn't take them back and it was too late. Hades, however, felt no sympathy for him and just ignored his pained pleas. He turned his back on the one person Hades actually cared for just as much as his own children and for that, he would never forgive him.

Artemis and Apollo's relationship had taken a turn for the worse. Artemis could not believe her brother had done what he did to what she thought was the only decent and respectable male on the planet. She was furious and the hunters agreed with her. While they were all man haters, Percy was the only one they liked and respected for his selflessness and sacrifice he performed in the wars. When Apollo tried to show up and explain himself, Artemis and her hunters just shot him full of arrows until he left. Things have never been tenser between the twin archers.

Camp wasn't much better either. That insolent brat of Poseidon's, Eric, has turned the fun-loving camp into a dictatorship. Most of the demigods follow him around like he's the kingpin and they his loyal servants. Even the daughter of Athena has fallen under his charm and has become prideful, bitchy, and arrogant, totally unlike the heroin she was a few years ago. Only the oldest campers weren't under his sway and felt immense guilt for how they treated their hero and friend. When they realized that Eric was behind all the tricks and that he broke their possessions, they wanted to apologize to Percy immediately. But when they found out he was sentenced to Tartarus, the guilt and shame began to eat them up alive.

Hades just sighed and rubbed his temples trying to take his mind off on the depressing thoughts of his family. He heard a voice asking for permission into his domain and when he found out who the person was, he wasted no time in accepting.

"I allow you to enter into my domain" He called out in his commanding voice.

Not a second later, his sister, Hestia, flashed into the throne room in her eighteen year old form. He quickly crossed over to her and wrapped her in a warm hug, her warmth feeling comforting and soothing on his cool skin. Out of all the gods, Hades loved his sister the most. She never shunned him and visited him regularly. She was the kindest and gentlest of all the gods and if anyone deserved respect it was she. She reminded him so much of their mother, her kindness and motherly warmth bringing up his earliest and first memories of his mother, Rhea, before he was swallowed by his father.

Hestia returned the hug and looked up at her younger brother with a small smile. These past few months have been just as hard on her as it has been for him.

"Hello brother. How are you doing today?" She asked as she pulled out of the embrace.

Hades smiled a small smile as well. "I'm doing fine sister. How are you? How is the hearth doing up on Olympus?"

Hestia sighed in sadness. "Not good. The hearth has never been so low and Olympus has never been so desperate for hope. I am so concerned about our family."

Hades expression became concerned when she mentioned the hearth but hardened when she mentioned those fools he calls family.

"Well I am not. Those idiots up on Olympus are a bunch of arrogant fools! I enjoy seeing them self-destruct because their mistakes are finally catching up to them." He said as he clenched his fists.

Hestia looked at her brother sadly, seeing through the lies he spewed but understanding his anger.

"You know you don't mean that brother. While they are foolish and arrogant at times and have made many mistakes, they are still our family." She said reassuringly as she touched his arm.

"They are no family of mine!" He yelled as he snatched his arm out of her grasp. "A family is supposed to care for one another! A family doesn't threaten war over something childish and insignificant! A family doesn't send their savior and hero down to hell and a family doesn't lock one of their own down under the earth for millennia because they wish to cut themselves off from them!" He shouted as years upon years of pent-up anger and hurt finally broke through the remains of his walls.

Hestia stared at her brother in sadness and wrapped him up in a warm hug. "You aren't talking about just Perseus, are you?"

He hugged her back, feeling the pain of the years of neglect his so-called "family" have inflicted upon him.

"I know that someone had to run the Underworld. But only you would visit me while the rest shunned and banished me down here. And when I finally get a taste of what companionship and acceptance truly is, they banish the one person who made it happen and banish me back down here." He said as tears rolled down his face.

"I miss him too brother. I miss him too." Hestia whispered as she cried as well.

Hades remained silent as the two eldest siblings of Kronos held each other, finding much needed solace and comfort in each other.

"You know, I sometimes get sacrifices from him." Hestia said.

"I do too. It seems that our nephew is a fighter and defying the odds once more." Hades said with a small smile before he clutched his head in pain.

"AHHH!" He yelled in pain as he clutched his pounding head.

"Hades! Brother, what is it? What's wrong?" Hestia yelled, concerned for him.

Hestia looked up and she saw something in his eyes that she has never scene before. Fear and panic shone in his black, obsidian eyes.

"Perseus." He whispered.

"What? What about Percy?" Hestia asked panicked.

"He's in the Arena of Tartarus." He said looking grim. Hestia gasped as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"I just felt his power surge and then go blank. He still alive down there but he's a prisoner in the most evil and violent place in the most evil and violent place on earth!" Hades said in despair. His favorite nephew was in a real pickle now. He knew that an immortal in the Arena can get their immortality revoked.

"At least he's still alive brother. He will pull through. He has done the impossible and he will do so again. Don't give up on him." Hestia said encouragingly.

Hades nodded his head. "Should we inform the gods?"

Hestia shook her head. "No. I don't know what's up with them, but the last thing we need is to bring up Percy's condition."

"Would feel great to make them feel guilty for what they did." Hades muttered before Hestia slapped him upside his head.

"None of that. Don't you find it strange how most of them acted on that day and how they are acting now? It's like their darker personalities have been brought out of them. Now they feel regret and shame for what they did and don't know why they did it." Hestia mused to herself.

"I don't know sister, but I feel that something dark on the horizon is near. We need to stand ready for it." Hades said determined. Hestia smiled at her brother's confidence and determination. At least their father passed down a few of his good qualities down to him.

"Now if you will excuse me sister, I must inform Nico and Hazel of Percy's condition. I know the will be glad to hear any news on him not natter how bad it is. You are welcome in my domain anytime sister." Hades smiled at her one last time before dissolving into shadows.

Hestia glanced around the throne room of the Underworld before speaking. "Please Perseus, hold on. I have a feeling you will be needed in the future whether you know it or not." She whispered before disappearing in a flash of flames.

**Percy POV**

I couldn't believe it. Bob and Damasen were alive and were right in front of me. Sure we were all prisoners in the Arena of Tartarus, but they were alive!

I pulled back from their embrace and wiped the tears out of my eyes.

"How are you guys here? Last time I saw you, you were fighting off Tartarus and were losing! How did you survive?" I questioned them still trying to believe they were in front of me.

Their faces darkened. "We didn't win if that's what your wondering. It was a brutal fight but I was able to hold my father off until you guys got out of the Doors of Death. Unfortunately, dear old dad got furious that you got away and unleashed a massive explosion of power, knocking us back and immobilized us." Damasen said.

"Small Bob tried to help, but Tartarus killed him, sucked him into his vortex of a face. He said he wanted nothing more than to kill us but he got a better idea. He sent us here, to the Arena where we have to fight for our lives everyday. He said it was the perfect punishment of defying him and I have to admit, he is right." Bob looked down in misery at the fate of his beloved pet.

"But how did you get back down here Percy? We heard that you were able to put Gaea back to sleep single-handily, but you should be up in the world of light and stars, not down here in the dark." Damasen said.

Now it was my turn for my face to darken. "I was sentenced down here by the gods. They said I was a traitor to Olympus and was too powerful to roam free. My father disowned me and went along with voting me down here. Only Hestia, Hades, and Artemis voted to save me but it wasn't enough." I looked down, anger boiling inside of me.

"After I got down here, I was immediately captured and tortured by you brother, Kronos." They gasped in shock. They must have thought like me and thought he was dispersed throughout the world.

"I spent the next 75 years, being tortured by him repeatedly. He would always bring me back from the brink of death and insanity. I swear, I could feel my sanity slipping away at times, but he would never let me go." I said as my eyes filled with pain at the memories that still haunted me to this day.

I took a deep breath and continued my tale. "After that, he cursed me, making me transform into any monster I kill and gain their forms and powers, but their essences are changing me, making me more merciless and sadistic. Their screams are clawing at the back of my mind, begging to be let free and assume control. I have a handle on it right now but it's always there and with the more monster I absorb, the worse it gets." I said hyperventilating.

The both starred at me in horror and in sympathy. They approached me and placed a calming hand on my shoulder, relaxing me.

"I then trekked through the wasteland of Tartarus and found a home in an abandoned cave. I lived there for a year now with Mrs. O'Leary, who was killed by my arrogant ass of a brother and…Annabeth." I said forcing the words out.

Bob and Damasen gasped. "She couldn't have done that! She wouldn't have done that!" They tried to deny, but they could sense the truth in my words.

I just nodded sorrowfully. "Before the gods got a hold of me, my brother came to camp and made my life hell. He turned the camp against me and Annabeth cheated on me with him." I said, feeling fury began to rise in my chest and the change threatening to take me over.

I calmed myself and pushed the beast back inside. "Then I was captured and brought here. The Perses branded me and now I'm gonna be forced to fight whatever opponent he throws at me!" I cried out, feeling powerless.

They just comforted me, and I have to admit, it was really good to see them again.

"Well, that's my story." I said.

They whistled. "Dang. I knew your luck was bad, but I didn't know how bad!" Damasen exclaimed.

"I'm just glad Hades didn't betray you. I worked for the guy and even though he made me a janitor, it was a way better life than before and he did treat me as a friend." Bob said, looking slightly relieved.

I smiled slightly. "Yeah, Uncle Hades really stuck his neck out for me. He's one of the only ones that I can still call friend." I sighed.

And we continued on, exchanging stories of how we were and what we have been up to. It continued on for half and hour before the door to our cell opened up and revealed my new friend, Butch.

He smiled maliciously at me. "Come on fresh meat. It's time for your first fight. And trust me when I say this one is a doozy." He said ominously as he grabbed me and cuffed my arms behind my back.

"Leave him alone!" Bob shouted out, pulling out his trust spear/broomstick. He was about to charge when the symbol on his arm glowed and he dropped to the ground in pain. I then noticed that they both had similar symbols of Perses branded on their arms as well.

"Wait your turn meat. Your fight isn't until later but you two will be joining and watching from the stands." Butch said as he cuffed both Bob and Damasen.

I didn't know if they were really bold or really stupid for talking down to an Elder Titan and a Gigante. They both had looks of rage on their faces but I could tell they were plotting revenge and weren't able to act upon it just yet. Looks like the Arena hasn't broken them just yet.

They led us out of the cell and down of series of long hallways. At the last hallway they split us up, them moving to the Arena stand entrances, while I continued downward until I saw a metal gate, like the ones they have in regular coliseum. They threw me forward and locked the door behind me, leaving me in the small space.

"Ladies and gentleman! Monsters of all ages!" I heard the voice of Perses boom out through the entire place. I heard the roar of the crowd as they responded in kind.

"I welcome you to the Arena of the Pit! We have a very special treat for you tonight! You all know him as the twice over Hero of Olympus, the Bane of Monsters, the Slayer of Kronos, and Deifier of Gaea herself! I present to you Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon!" He shouted as the gate lifted and I walked out into the Arena.

The monsters were going absolutely nuts when they heard my name and I could hear them calling for my blood. I didn't know I was this popular.

I got my first good look at the Arena and I have to admit, I was pretty impressed. It was huge, the size of ten football stadiums, with over tens of thousands of monster in the stands. The stands were one hundred feet from the floor of the ground, giving the monsters a good view of the field. There were pits and trenches, rocks and outcroppings littering the field. The entire outline of the Arena was surrounded by a moat filled with water. I smiled slightly, looks like I have an advantage. There were dozens upon dozens of steel gates, all different sizes and I could tell I was going to hate what was gonna come out of those doors.

"Do not worry folks! You will all get to have a piece of him when the time comes, but for now, let's get on to his main opponent!" He called out and the crowd roared in approval. I could see Damasen and Bob in the stands, still cuffed but were giving me smiles of encouragement.

"The main opponent, you all know this wild beast that has tormented hundreds of towns back in ancient times. It's fur is indestructible and is like a walked, roaring, killing machine! It was first killed by the mighty Hercules for his first labor! I present to you…THE NEMEAN LION!" He boomed out as one of the gates opened up.

I gulped as the massive tank size lion came rushing out of the gate, looking as intimidating as ever. It seemed to have grown since the last I seen it when I was on my third quest to save Artemis. It fur glittered in the torch light like glittering gold. It's teeth and claws were out and they looked ready to slice me in half. Its eyes had a feral look to them and I could tell that it was seeing me as its next meal.

"This beasty was killed by this boy and some of the Hunters of Artemis and I can tell it wants a little payback!" Perses boomed out as the lion roared in approval.

It began to stalk closer to me as I began to back up.

"Easy now kitty. Remember all the fun times we had together? You chasing me, me throwing those space packets of astronaut food down your throat? Good times right?" I said as I continued to back away.

Anger flashed in its eyes before responding with a massive roar and pouncing at me. I used my enhanced reflexes to jump out of the way before the claws embedded in the stone wall behind me, tearing through it like it was wet tissue paper. I took out Riptide and got into a defensive stance, ready for the next strike to happen. It turned around with lightning speed and before I could react, I smacked me in the chest and sent me flying 30 feet. I crashed on the ground, feeling like my chest was just hit by two-ton truck. If it wasn't for the training I went though down here, I was sure I would have broken multiple bones. But my bones and skin had toughened in the harsh atmosphere of Tartarus and I wouldn't be beaten so easily.

I got off the ground and growled a feral noise deep in my throat. The Nemean Lion just looked at me, slightly shocked that I was still alive. But it narrowed its eyes and roared again before bounding towards me. I roared in response, running at it with inhuman speed, with my claws out. I took a swipe at its side but my claws just bounced out its fur and I cursed myself. Its fur is impenetrable; I wasn't going to get through with stabbing. The lion roared in defiance and took notice of my distraction, swiping its claws across my exposed back. I yelled in pain as I felt the claws slice into my back, through skin and into muscle. The crowd shouted in approval calling for my death. I yelled in anger and with some Laestrygonian strength, delivered a solid punch right into its face sending into flipping end over end, 15 feet away.

The crowd was stunned at my burst of strength and was shocked even more as they saw me shift for the very first time. I shifted into the form of a Laestrygonian Giant, combing the essences into my ultra form. I stood at 12 feet tall, my arms bulging with muscles, with an expression of rage on my face. The Nemean Lion stumbled to its feet, still dazed my punch. It looked at me and I could see a little bit of fear in its face. With a war cry I charged at the beast, launching myself forward and tackling the massive cat.

We wrestled around the arena, both delivering devastating blows on each other. Soon I was covered in painful, deep cuts, all oozing red blood. Red blood? It should be gold. I guess while I'm on the field, I am, for all intents and purposes, mortal. I shook that thought of and looked back at my opponent, who didn't look so hot either. I could see some dents in its fur from my fists. It was then I got an idea. If I couldn't cut it with a blade, maybe blunt force trauma could kill it.

I leaped back and reached into my little pouch filled with the miniaturized celestial bronze cannon balls. I took out two, aimed and fired on the kitty. It roared in pain as they connected and I could hear bones cracking from the force that I threw them. It tried to scramble backwards, but I continued to rain cannon ball after cannon ball on the retreating lion. Soon, all its legs were broken from the barrage I just unleashed on it and the crowd was going wild, chanting my name. I approached the whimpering beast, pleading in its eyes for death. I decided to grant its request. I grabbed it by it hide and with a massive shout, lifted it clean of the floor.

"Are you not entertained?" I boomed out as I held the Nemean Lion over my head. The crowd roared in excitement and was going crazy. I held their undivided attention.

Then, without further ado, I slammed the lion down over my knee, breaking its back and crippling it. It roared and whimpered in pain before going still. I then shifted back to my normal form, opened its massive jaws, drew my sword, and plunged it into the roof off its mouth.

The lion shuddered once before going completely still and dissolving into golden dust. The dust was then absorbed into my glowing tattoos and right in front of the crowd of monsters, I shifted into my new monster form.

My skin turned golden and grew a golden fur and I knew that no weapon could ever penetrate its hide. Gleaming fangs, sprouted from my gums, bursting out of my way too small mouth before it grew to accommodate my new teeth. A bushy mane grew around my neck as I grew larger and large in size. I surpassed the size of my hellhound form and this body felt different. Instead of the overwhelming strength and power of the hellhound, I felt unbelievable grace and agility in my limbs. I still had amazing strength in my arms but I was built for speed, lightning fast strikes, and amazing feat of grace.

I was now the Nemean Lion and I looked over the stunned crowd of monsters. I then lifted my head, opened my massive maw and let out a roar of victory. The monster crowd went wild before they began to chant my name. They then began to chant something different.

"Shifter! Shifter! Shifter! Shifter!" The chant grew in tempo before it was bouncing off the walls, filling Tartarus with my new name. I have to admit I kind of liked the ring to it.

"Well how about that folks? What did I tell you? An AMAZING performance by Perseus Jackson The Monster Shifter! I did not expect that!" Perses yelled out in glee, creating a new name for me. He looked at me with a look that said we would talk later.

"The fights from here on out will get more brutal and I can tell you, you won't want to miss it!" Perses said as he dismissed the crowd.

I shifted back into my regular form and saw that I was still covered in deep cuts from my fight. I felt weird and a little scared during my fight; not because I fought one of the most dangerous monsters in mythology but because how I fought it. I fought like a monster; sadistic and mercilessly. I actually enjoyed the suffering I brought on the Nemean Lion and I could feel myself getting sick. I swayed back and forth before I collapsed to the ground.

The last thing I saw before I drifted off into unconsciousness, were Damasen and Bob running towards me, looks of concern plastered on their faces.

**And there is chapter six. Hope you all enjoyed it! It is currently 2:00 in the morning at I just finished this chapter for all of you.**

**So he meets Perses and Perses is forcing him to fight in the Arena of the Pit. He also brands Percy, which bounds him to Perses so he can never leave the Arena. See what happens later in the story and how he will fight the effects.**

**He is reunited with Bob and Damasen! They survived their fight with Tartarus and Tartarus is making them suffer in the Arena of the Pit.**

**Threw in that little bit with Hades and Hestia, wanted to show what was going on outside of the Pit. I always liked Hades and wanted to give him his own scene. I always thought of him as misunderstood and lonely, just trying to be accepted by his family that has shunned him. I also gave him and Percy an Uncle/Nephew relationship.**

**What did you all think of the fight scene? I wanted to portray Percy as a little more sadistic and brutal in his fights. The monster essences he is absorbing is making him act like this and he will soon have to learn how to control it. Bob and Damasen and maybe Perses will help train him on that.**

**Hope you liked this chapter and Please review!**


	7. The Mind of a Monster

**Hey guys. Just wanted to let everyone know that my updates may take a little but longer from now on. I just got a new job and it takes up a big chunk of my time. But, whenever I am off, I am writing, coming up with new chapter ideas for my stories so you all can enjoy. **

**I also want to take this time and send a personal message to all of our soldiers who are fighting or has fought for our country. I thank all of you for your service to this country and we can never repay you for that. I salute you! Happy Memorial Day everyone!**

**So on with the chapter!**

**The Mind of a Monster**

_**Previously…**_

"_Well how about that folks? What did I tell you? An AMAZING performance by Perseus Jackson The Monster Shifter! I did not expect that!" Perses yelled out in glee, creating a new name for me. He looked at me with a look that said we would talk later._

"_The fights from here on out will get more brutal and I can tell you, you won't want to miss it!" Perses said as he dismissed the crowd._

_I shifted back into my regular form and saw that I was still covered in deep cuts from my fight. I felt weird and a little scared during my fight; not because I fought one of the most dangerous monsters in mythology but because how I fought it. I fought like a monster; sadistic and mercilessly. I actually enjoyed the suffering I brought on the Nemean Lion and I could feel myself getting sick. I swayed back and forth before I collapsed to the ground. _

_The last thing I saw before I drifted off into unconsciousness, were Damasen and Bob running towards me, looks of concern plastered on their faces._

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

I was standing in a hug room that was pitch black to where I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't see or hear anything. This darkness was darker than the House of Night when I had that little run in with Nyx, the primordial goddess of the night. The darkness seemed to be all encompassing, wrapping around me like sheets of lead.

I began to panic, breathing gasps of breath, feeling like the walls of the rooms were about to cave in one m. Before I could start to scream and lose what little sanity I have left, I felt the pressure decrease off my chest and retreat into the darkness. I gulped down deep breaths of air before I began to analyze the situation. I have never been as smart or as tactical as a child of Athena, but having to survive in the Pit made me develop skills that were essential to survival.

I stretched out my senses to my surroundings, trying to get a fix on where I was at and what the threat level was. I was in a dome shaped room about 30 feet high and 30 feet wide. It appeared that I was the only one in the room but it felt like my presence was…everywhere. Usually, I could sense my position in accordance with my surroundings but this time it felt like I was everywhere at once. It was very weird and creeped me out.

"Hello?" I called out and my voice seemed to bounce back and forth across the walls, magnifying it.

The room began to tremble and turn, spinning very slowly until it grinded to a halt. An explosion of light filled the chamber causing me to yell in pain as my eyes were seared with the blinding light. Letting the pain in my eyes subside, I slowly opened them to be greeted by a strange sight.

The chamber I was in was now filled with light coming from a bunch of torches lining the walls. There were dozens upon dozens of doors inside the chamber, all pulsing with a different color. I walked around the chamber, reading the labels on the doors/ Many had weird titles and they all had to do with me.

_Percy's Childhood Memories, Percy's Emotions, Percy's Powers, Percy's Personality, Percy's Loyalty, _the list went on and on. I suddenly felt another presence behind me. Tensing my arms in anticipation for a fight, I whirled around to be met but a shocking surprise.

The person standing before me was my height and was covered in muscles. He had strong arms, with a broad chest that led to a narrow, taper thin waist connected to strong powerful legs. His body just screamed power, strength and speed. His face was handsome and defined and looked almost feral with his oversized canines and how his face was defined. He had familiar raven black hair and sea-green eyes that held untold pain and emotions swimming in their depths. The person standing before me was ME!

He looked at me with a critical eye before grinning. So that's what my lop-sided grin looks like. Kind of weird to be on the receiving end of one of those.

"Are you gonna close your mouth or catch flies all day?" He said in my sarcastic tone. Oh great, he has my sarcastic personality too! I shut my mouth with an audible click before narrowing my eyes at him.

I kept my stance up, just in case this guy got violent. He shook his head and gave me a smirk that made me frown and start to get annoyed with him.

"Who are you and why do you look like me? Where am I?" I yelled threateningly.

He just chuckled amused at my outburst.

"Don't you know Percy? I am only a manifestation of your mind. And if you must know, we are in your, our, mind." He said, gesturing to himself and me.

It took a little bit for that nugget of information to digest. My eyes widened in realization at what he said and he nodded his head, noticing the look on my face. I was inside my own mind!

I was reeling in shock and a little fear; what would I find within my mind? What kinds of memories would I relive and what secrets will I uncover. I was also worried about this dude...him…me….whatever it was!

He caught my look and raised his hands in a placating manner.

"Easy bro, just so you know, I mean you no harm and am here to help you." He said convincingly.

My eyes narrowed at him. "Yeah, whenever someone says that to me, they either turn out to be a really bad guy and I end up in a fight for my life or they are good guys that throw me in Tartarus after I save their worthless asses, so you'll forgive me if I don't believe you until I see more proof." I snapped at him.

He sighed but nodded his head, understanding my skepticism and suspicion.

"All right Percy. How about this, I will tell you a secret that no one, not even mom, Poseidon or anyone knows about that will show you that I am who I say I am and that I am here to help you." Other Percy said.

I looked at him suspiciously for a moment before nodding my head.

He nodded before gaining a faraway look in his eye.

"Remember when we were young and the time that mom and Gabe got in that huge fight on how there was no such thing as blue food?" He asked.

"Yeah and she mixed in food coloring with all my desserts and food showing that blue food was possible and that she wasn't completely suckered to Gabe." I said recalling that fight and the reason why blue was my favorite color.

He took a deep breath and looked at me. "Remember what happened a week later when Gabe decided to get 'revenge' for making him look like a fool?" He said.

My eyes widened as I flashed back to that painful memory. He nodded his head as he too got that look in his eye and I could tell he was relieving the same memory.

"He came in and beat us that night. He was so angry and drunk that he took out his embarrassment and anger on us saying…." He trailed off.

"…'If you and you mother think blue is such as great color, then why don't I beat you black and blue?'" I finished, remembering what smelly Gabe whispered in my ear as he beat me the entire night.

The other me winced as he remembered as well. "Mom was working a double that night and she didn't get home until morning. You wore a long sleeve shirt to cover up your bruises and never said anything to her for fear that Gabe would beat her like he beat you off and on throughout the years." He said. "So do you believe me now that I won't harm you and I want to help you?"

I looked at him and nodded, a single tear trailing down my cheek. I quickly whipped it away before schooling my expression back to normal.

"Ok, I believe you. But what are you exactly?" I asked curiously.

He smiled and spread his arms out. "I am what you would call an artificial construction of you mind. Think of me as hologram artificial intelligence that is based off your brainwaves, personality, memories and experiences. In essence, I am you and you are me." He said as his form flickered.

"So what's your name?" I asked, trying to gain as much info on my mental manifestation.

He shook his head. "I don't have one. Since I am just a mental construct, living in your mind, I never saw fit to name myself."

I looked at him in shock before gaining a thinking face. I stroked my chin as I thought up potential names for him before snapping my fingers."

"How about Riptide?" I said. "Since you are a part of me and I feel like Riptide is a part of me, why not use that? We can shorten it to Rip to avoid any confusion."

He had a thoughtful look on his face before smiling brightly. "I like it. Rip, short for Riptide will be my new name from now on." The newly christened Rip said happily.

I smiled at his enthusiasm before getting serious. "So you said that this is my mind and that you are a reflection od me that my mind has created. So why am I here?" I asked him.

Rip stopped smiling and turned serious. "I am here to help you conquer your demons and to help you control the monsters within you. Each room in this chamber is a doorway to different parts of your mind. Your mind holds many things within where some are good, some are bad, and some are so terrible that if they were to ever be unleashed, everything around you will be destroyed." He said ominously.

I was very nervous now. What could be in my mind that would be so terrible that if it got free that could be the end of everything?

He walked over to a certain door and motioned me over. I walked over and saw that the door was black in color with sea green lines running along the edges with a reptilian monster eye in the center. It was the same symbol that was tattooed on my hands. There were black spidery lines all around the doorframe that were stretching out like veiny fingers to all the other doors. They seemed to pulse with a black light and power as the glowed.

"This door has recently popped up in here when Kronos gave you that monster curse. Within are all the monsters that you have absorbed; their essences, their memories, their personalities all reside within you now. A piece of them live within you and it is slowly spreading throughout your mind, tainting everything it touches." He explained, as I saw the black lines around the door spread out further.

"Yeah, I've noticed that I have been crueler and more brutal in my battles. I can feel a sadistic nature clawing at the back of my mind, the voices of the monsters chanting for death and destruction." I shuddered as I remembered my past battles.

Rip nodded his head at my confession. "Yes, these black lines are infecting your mind. The true purpose of the curse is that the more monsters the wielder kill, the more essences they absorb until the person is slowly drowned in a sea of evil and monster instincts until they are no more. Their humanity is burned out, they forget their past life, memories are replaced, and all that is left is the uncontrollable anger and rage of the monsters." He said.

I felt sick to my stomach at the revelation. The curse may have brought me incredible power and new abilities, but it was infecting my mind, slowly turning me into the things I hate most.

Clarity struck my mind as I recalled all the monsters I fought. Medusa, Arachne, and many others I have fought had a similar curse placed on them. They were all either once mortals or were born from a mortal. They didn't start out as monsters; they were ordinary but were cursed to live lives as monsters, slowly having their sanity and humanity ripped out of them as they were consumed in rage, anger, bitterness, and hatred. I actually felt sympathy and sorrow for them as I was now going through a similar situation.

Yet, I had it worse. They were transformed physically because of their pride and arrogance and they gave in to those negative feelings of insanity while my curse was slowly eating me away until I would become nothing more than hunger and instinct, clawing for survival and killing all in my path. Friend or foe, it wouldn't matter, as I would carve an arc of destruction behind me and all would fall to my rage.

I steeled my emotions and resolve. I would not become like them. I would control the monsters inside me and I will not allow it to take over my life.

I looked at Rip with fiery determination in my eyes. "What do I have to do to make sure that doesn't happen?"

He gazed at me uncertainly. "I don't know."

"What?" Incredulity lacing my tone.

"I don't know. I want to help you as much as I can, making the transition as easy and painless as possible, but it can't be stopped. Frankly, I'm surprised that you have lasted this long with those essences in your body. I would have to say your unpredictable nature of the sea is confusing and prolonging your curse." He contemplated.

"So you're saying that this is gonna happen to me whether I want it to or not?" I said, feeling the spark of rage begin to fill my heart.

He just shook his head sadly. "It is inevitable. There is nothing you can do."

"BULL!" I yelled, anger rising in me. "I have done the impossible before! They said that I couldn't defeat Kronos, but I did! They said Gaea was all-powerful and we would all be destroyed, but I put her back to sleep. They said that it was impossible to survive in Tartarus and escape but I am doing it and I have escaped before. Now you're telling me there is nothing I can do to stop this? I don't think so! I have defied fate before and I don't care what those bitter old crones say, I will not allow this to happen!"

As I ranted, the room began to shake and Rip began to look uneasy. "Percy, calm down! If you keep it up, you'll collapse the room!"

I laughed a humorless laugh and I was surprised by how dark it sounded. "Why? We are in my head so how can a room collapse within my own mind?" I said, not caring how crazy I sounded.

"Percy, please! Just calm yousel-!" I cut him off by pushing him against one of the walls.

I spoke with a coldness in my tone that I didn't know I possessed. "Listen here and listen well, Rip. I will not fall victim to this curse. Call me an idiot, call me a Seaweed Brain, call me whatever you like, but I will survive this and I don't care how it happens. I may become monster in the future, but I will harness and control my rage. I will control and channel my anger and insanity and I will not let no two-bit punk tell me otherwise!" I yelled as I pressed my forearm against his throat.

He was struggling underneath my unrelenting grip, as the pressure increased cutting off his circulation. Looks like even in my mind, I can choke people out. I released the pressure on his neck where he immediately collapsed in a wheezing heap. He rubbed his neck and looked at me in fear.

I turned away from him and approached the monster door, it pulsing in tune with my heartbeat. I reached out and place a hand on the doorknob.

"Don't do it Percy! You don't know what will happen!" Rip called out from the floor behind me.

I turned to look at him, smiling a smile that indicated that I might not have been completely sane.

"That may be the point. See you on the other side." I said, before doing one the stupidest and most impulsive things I have ever done in my life.

I opened the monster door and rushed through it into pitch darkness, hearing it slam behind me with an ominous bang.

**Line Break**

It was at that point where I realized that snapping at the one person that knew me better than me and jumping blindly through an open door that lead to the heart of all my problems wasn't exactly a great idea.

The room was just as if not even darker than the last one. Only difference here is that the pressure and darkness was unrelenting. It felt like I was walking through molasses, which I knew from experience. Faint shuffling and growls could be heard throughout the room. I felt a whoosh of air rush behind me as I whipped around to see what it was. I felt light brushes across my back and shoulders that sent shivers down my spine. I felt like my body was crawling with ants. Little pinpricks of sensations were rushing all up and down my skin and my instincts were screaming at me to get the Hades out of her as fast as I could.

Dark chuckling came from behind me as I whipped around, only to have a fist shoot out from the darkness and slam into my face. I grunted in pain as I stumbled back in surprise. I felt sharp claws rake across my back that tore through my skin and muscle only to have something bite down on my left shoulder as a follow up attack.

Stumbling around, I tried to fight off my opponents, but in the darkness, I couldn't see anything and I could tell these presences were super hostile in nature.

"Well little demigod. You seem to have lost your way." A deep voice called from the darkness. "You were foolish to venture into this park of your mind."

"Yeah! This place were you are keeping us prisoner!" Another voice growled out.

A third voice joined in, "We shall have a lot of fun seeing how you like getting torn to pieces! We shall see what it's like to have your consciousness trapped and your body used like a puppet!"

Light then flooded the room and shadows were dancing along the walls and over the figures standing in front of me, making them look extremely intimidating and evil.

In front of me were all the monsters I killed and absorbed into my body. There was one Hellhound, three Laestrygonian Giants, seven Cyclopes, and my newest form, the Nemean Lion. All of them were glaring at me in hatred.

Joe bob stepped forward along with his brothers. "You see son of Poseidon. You didn't just get our forms and powers when absorbed us, you also got a piece of our consciousness. We are trapped and very much alive within your mind and we want out!" he snarled at me.

I began to back up as they advanced on me. "Wait! I didn't know you all were in here! Like I need more mental issues than I already got!" I yelled in exasperation.

They laughed as they looked at me arrogantly. "Oh yes, we have seen your memories. Just like when you get our memories, we get yours as well. Every painful memory of your torture with Kronos, which I have to say was so much fun to watch." He said wickedly.

I felt anger begin to well up in me as they laughed at my tortures and painful memories.

"Oh! Oh! How about the one where the council of the gods sentence him down here, huh? Or when his father disowns him and calls him a mistake? I personally like that one!" A Cyclops joined in on the taunting and laughter. The anger began to grow as I felt it pulse through my body.

Joe Bob then smiled at me knowingly and it was not a nice smile. "I believe my favorite painful memory of his was when his friends abandon him and that little daughter of Athena cheated on him with his half-brother! That one kills me!" He roared in laughter as all the others joined in.

"No, I will KILL YOU!" I roared in rage as my anger finally snapped.

I launched myself forward and delivered a thunderous punch on Joe Bob, sending him flying through the room and making him collapse against the wall, unconscious.

The monsters were stunned that I was brave enough to do that and glared at me in anger before freezing at the wicked look on my face. I realized that I couldn't shift in my mind, but my anger and rage were giving me power. I then had a wicked idea that could possibly save me and change me forever.

With a wicked gleam in my eye, I stalked forward as they back-pedaled. Funny how the roles were reversed now as I was the one hell-bent on making them suffer with them cowering under my rage.

"You know. I just thought of something. Since you are in my mind, I can essentially do whatever I want to you." I said with a maniacal grin as I stretched my hand out, willing the floor to restrain.

I smiled wickedly as my theory was proven correct as the floor reached up and restrained all of them. The struggles in their bonds and had looks of terror on their faces as I approached them.

"You see, I have learned recently that the more monster that I absorb, the more sadistic and monster-like I become as you all overpower and erase my former self." I said as I began to rain down punches on my restrained victims, taking deep pleasure hearing their screams of pain.

"I have been struggling against you all as you have tried to overthrow my mind and assume control of my body to somehow get your lives back. But this is my body and I'll be damned if I let one of you take it from me!" I ranted as I snapped their ribs from vicious kicks.

I stepped back and admired my handy work as they were all whimpering in pain from my brutal beat down.

"Now, I have thought of a solution to our mutual problem. You are in my body so you have to deal with it and I have to deal with you being trapped in my mind." I said as I got their attention. This was going to be tricky to convince them after the beat down I just gave them but it was the only way for me to survive this curse and for them to benefit as well.

"So here's my compromise. We have to form a bond, a meddling of the minds and body. You would be absorbed into my mind and we would share this body on mutual terms. You would become part of me and my mind won't fade and be stripped of my humanity." I declared as they all looked at me, wide-eyed in disbelief.

"You can't be serious! After the beating you just gave us, you must be out of your damn mind!" A giant yelled out. I just sighed and punched him in the jaw, breaking it.

"Look, I don't like this anymore than you do. However, I don't want to fade and you don't want to be trapped in my mind like prisoner. If my mind fades and my body is all that is left, then all of you will have to fight each other for control over my body until one by one, you all with fade with me. And trust me when I say there will be a lot more monsters joining joining you soon." I said thinking of all the fights that Perses would make me do.

Some of them were furious that I even suggested this crazy idea while a few others looked a bot uncertain. I noticed that the Hellhound was looking at me in curiosity and I walked over to it. It growled at me before I sent it a warning glare, to which it shut up.

"What's your name, Fido?" I asked it. It glared at me as I smirked at it.

"_My name is Viktor, Demigod." _He growled at me. "_And if I wasn't tied down I would tear out your throat!"_

"Well, Viktor, I offer you my deal. Meld with me and you will live through me. What do you say?" I offered, releasing him to show I was sincere.

As soon as he was free he pounced on me pinning me to the floor as he snarled at me. Saliva dripped from his sharpened fangs as they were within an inch from my throat. He closed his mouth, pulled back and looked at me.

"_Why are you unafraid? I could easily tear your throat out._" He said.

I smirked "But you didn't, which means that you are seriously considering my offer."

The hellhound gained a contemplative look before nodding his furry head and getting off of me. I stood up and looked eye to eye with the monstrous dog. I gazed into his burning red eyes, gleaming with hell-fire that seemed dimmer than usual. They looked closer to Mrs. O'Leary's eyes.

"You have to want this. I won't force this upon you. I could, but I won't and I think it would be a lot better if we cooperated with each other. Deal?" I asked to which he nodded.

"Ok. Here it goes."

I placed my hand on either side of his massive furry head and concentrated. I felt little pinpricks on my skin as his fur began to stand up on end. A circle of green light surrounded me while a circle of black surrounded him. The glowing stands of light swirled around us before the two strands began to twirl around each other and formed a spinning ring of glowing green and black light.

Viktor's form began to flicker, turning see-through like a ghost's. His body turned to vapor and all of it spun around my body as the light and vapor were completely absorbed into my body. I collapsed on the ground as I felt his consciousness merge with my own as his memories and thoughts merged together.

I saw through his eyes all his memories. Him as a puppy, opening his eyes for the first time gazing into the eyes of his loving mother. Growing up with five other siblings without a care in the world as they all grew big and strong. I saw his mother push him and his siblings into a bush as demigods burst through the trees, all wielding weapons. I watched through his eyes as his mother was killed in front of him and felt his anger and resentment of demigods form then and there. I watched as he and his siblings charged the surprised demigods and slaughter all of them and how they mourned over their fallen mother. I saw as he lived multiple lives, the innocent puppy having to become brutal and vicious to stay alive. More and more memories flashed through my mind of his life. I saw the rise of Rome, the moving of the west, multiple battles and trips to Tartarus, the second Titan war, him escaping with his sister, and his sister falling in battle. The final image I saw was of me stabbing my sword into his chest as his body was absorbed into mine.

Reeling from the images, I snapped back to the present. I could feel my control over my hellhound form rise immensely as I gained all the knowledge from Viktor. I could feel him in my mind and my mind in his.

_We are one_. We thought at the same time and we were. We were bonded for life now. I felt as he looked through my memories and I could feel his sympathy for me grow as he watched all my hardships before I became a demigod, after I was claimed, and up till this moment.

_You have lived a hard life Percy. I am sorry for that. _Viktor said in my mind.

_As have you Viktor. _I replied as I felt his mind pull away from mine. While we now share mind and body, we still have our privacy.

I opened my eyes and saw all the other monsters looking at me in astonishment and a little fear. I held my hand out to them as they flinched away.

"Do not be afraid." I said and my voice sounded doubled. "I offer you the same offer that Viktor has taken. He see through my eyes and lives through me. He has seen my life and I his. Join us and you will not regret it." I said as I held my hand out once again.

All the monsters looked contemplative before nodding their heads in consent. I smiled at them as they returned the gesture. I performed the procedure again and watched as the light rings surrounded us and as their forms turned to vapor and they were all absorbed into me.

I clutched my head in pain as I witnessed multiple lives of the monsters I had just bonded with. I saw the Laestrygonians have their run in with Odysseus and his crew and how they ate some of his comrades. I saw as they adapted to modern changes and pick up their love for dodge ball. I saw the lives of the Cyclops as they were born from my father and other nature spirits. My head was swimming with all the knowledge and smithing skills they picked up from the forges of Hephaestus and from under the sea. I felt like I could fix and create anything. From the Nemean Lion's point of view I watched as he ransacked villages and was killed by Hercules. I saw how that worthless hero stole my pelt! Whoa I was even beginning to think like them too.

I felt myself grow stronger and stronger after bonding with these creatures. I felt my sympathy for these monsters grow but only them. All the others that I haven't killed yet, I still despise them and will not hesitate to kill them. The weird thing was, I as felt my personality change from absorbing them, I could feel their personalities become more like mine. It was a sharing and melding of good and bad traits that were spread out evenly between all of us.

Standing up I saw little afterimages of the monsters in this room and realized that they had to stay in here until I called upon them. I felt powerful, huge, and like I could take on anything. Who knew I could get this kind of power from the monster world of Mythology?

_Percy…Percy….PERCY!_ I heard my name be called as I felt a massive headache come over me. I could see that my surroundings were fading as I was forcefully dragged back into the world of the conscious.

I felt two presences hover over me as someone was shouting my name and shaking my shoulder trying to wake me. My eyes fluttered open to the worried faces of Bob and Damasen hovering over me. Their worried faces quickly melted and were replaced by looks of relief.

I took note of my surroundings. I was lying in a narrow bed in a room that reminded me of a hospital room. It was small and looked like it was hardly ever used. Dust was everywhere as mold grew in the corners of the room. The beds beside me were all rusted and some of them were in collapsed heaps. Beside my bed was a small little table with a bunch of rags that were covered red in blood and some herbs and medicine that I guess were used to heal me. I cursed that we didn't have any ambrosia or nectar.

I groaned as I sat up, feeling all the aches and bruises all over my body from the fight. I felt Bob reach out and gently push me back on the bed.

"Easy Percy. You had quite a fight out there. Thank Hades that Damasen is extremely proficient in medicine and healing." Bob said gently as he praised his half-brother.

I smiled then winced as the ache in my back.

Damasen looked at me apologetically. "Sorry about your back Percy, but the claw marks were pretty deep and you will have scars for the rest of your life."

I just shrugged my shoulders not really caring. What was one more scar added to the hundreds that I already had gotten from the countless battles and tortures I went through. I then turned and looked at Bob curiously.

"Hey Bob, I've noticed that you sound…a bit more mature in your speaking. Does that mean that you have your full memories back?" I asked a little uneasily. I was worried that if he regained his full memories that he would want to take revenge on me. I also felt guilty about never visiting him when he was in the Underworld with Hades.

Bob nodded his head. "After the fight with Tartarus, I regained all my memories." I looked at him uneasily before he smiled at me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry Percy. While I may have all my memories, I do regret what I have done in the past and I have you to thank for setting me on a different path." He told me sincerely.

I breathed a sigh of relief before a look of shame crossed my face. "Bob, can I still call you Bob?" I asked uncertainly.

"Of course my friend. While my real name is Iapetus, only my friends are allowed to call me Bob." He said smiling.

I felt tension leave my body at his reassurance. "I just want to say that I am sorry for leaving you and Damasen down here. I know that it had to be done but I didn't feel any less guilty about it and I am so sorry. I'm also so sorry for not being a better friend to you before I was trapped down here. You heard me calling for help and jumped into the pit with no hesitation after I was a crappy friend to you and for that I am truly sorry." I said as I looked down in shame.

I felt a hand on my shoulder before I looked I was staring into Bob's silver eyes. "My friend, you do not have to apologize to me. While we are stuck down here, I wouldn't change a thing. You have freed me from the Titan's hold and for that I am truly grateful." He said sincerely.

"As am I my friend. Without you and that daughter of Athena, I would have been trapped in that swamp forever fighting a continuous battle with that Drakon. Because of you, you have showed me a different path and allowed me to shape my own destiny and for that I am so thankful." Damasen said as he placed his hand on my opposite shoulder.

I felt so happy that I had these two as my friends. My greatest shame was leaving them down here and yet here they were forgiving me of that. Despite the aching in my body, I sat up and pulled them into a man-hug.

Hearing a cough from the doorway I pulled away and saw Perses looking at me with a mocking smirk.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt an emotional healing moment between the three of you? My bad." He said in a mocking tone, with a cruel smirk on his face.

I growled in anger and started to get up from the bed before a felt a slight burning in my forearm, coming from Perses's Brand.

"Ah ah ah. Can't have any of that now. can we? You need to save that anger for your upcoming battles." He chided me as I saw his eyes glow with the power of destruction.

I shot him a glare and mumbled under my breath. He just laughed at my attitude.

"Such spirit! I do have to congratulate you for that EXCELLENT battle! There has never been such a reaction in the entire history of the games!" Perses said in uncontained excitement.

"But I do have one question…" He suddenly rushed across the room and pinned me to the wall.

"How did you do that changing ability?" He growled at me as his grip increased on my arms. Bob and Damasen tried to help, but Perses looked at them and they fell to the floor in pain, clutching their arms.

"Leave them alone!" I yelled as I struggled in his unrelenting grasp.

He smiled a sadistic smiled before fresh screams of pain came from my fallen friends.

"Now why would I want to do that?" He asked with a cruel smirk. "It shows them who is the boss and it gets you to cooperate with me. It's a win-win in my book."

I looked on helplessly as Bob and Damasen, writhed on the floor in pain and I couldn't do anything.

"Stop it! I'll tell you what you want!" I said in defeat.

Perses just smiled widely like he wasn't a crazy, sadistic monster a few seconds ago.

"Excellent!" He said as their brands stopped glowing and their screams of pain stopped. They climbed shakily to their feet, but glared in hatred at Perses.

"Now, I will ask one more time, where did you get that changing ability." He asked seriously. I could see the madness in his eyes, promising pain if I didn't answer him.

"I got it from the Tooth Fairy, where do you think I got it?" I said snapped at him. "I got it from dear old granddad Kronos. Apparently he placed something called the Monster Curse on me." I said holding up my hand, showing my tattoo.

Perses narrowed his eyes and grabbed my hand, inspecting the tattoos. He got a wicked gleam in his eyes and he looked a little…fearful.

"Great Gaea. He actually did it. He finally placed it one someone." He whispered before he let go of my hand and appraised me in a whole new light. "He must of truly hated you for him to put this on you. He held onto that knife since I was only a few decades old and I have seen some people he really hated." He said in disbelief.

"Yeah well I have that kind of effect on people. Just ask dear _Uncle Zeus_." I spat his name out as a curse.

Perses raised an eyebrow at me but just shrugged as if my anger didn't really concern him.

"Since you have done so well in your fight against the Nemean Lion, I have scheduled a few more fights for you in the next few weeks. Seeing as how you have a new monster form, it's best to get you fighting before you lose your gods-damned mind." He said nonchalantly.

I wanted to punch him so badly, but restrained myself. Not yet, but soon I will be free from him and I will free Damasen and Bob from him too. I also decided against telling him that I had solved my problem and merged with all my forms. Didn't want to give him that kind of information.

"So, over the next two weeks, you will train to master your monster forms and will be taught a variety of weapons. I know that you are already proficient in your forms and current weapons, but I want you at your best. The crowd demands it. " Perses said.

I nodded my head before getting a crazy idea. "How about we make things interesting?" I said with a hint of challenge.

He raised his eyebrow but nodded his head for me to continue.

I smirked as he took the bait. "I bet you that I can defeat anything you throw at me. Whatever opponent you put against me, whatever monster you schedule to fight me, I bet I can kill them all." I said.

"Interesting. And pray tell, what does that have to do with anything." He asked bored but I could tell he was interested.

I took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "If I win, you have to set Bob and Damasen free from your grasp, along with myself. You will never bother us again and will let us go free." I said confidently.

"Interesting proposition. But what if you lose? What do I get then?" He asked frowning.

"What do you want?" I said. He smiled sadistically at me and I could tell what he was about to say would be horrible.

"You. Should you lose I want you to be my champion and fighter for the rest of eternity. You will do what I say, when I say it, and I will take your free will from you. You will be my weapon of destruction I will release on the world and you will abide by my commands." He said smiling manically.

I paled until I resembled Hades. I thought for a moment before nodding my head.

"Deal." I said.

"No Percy! Don't do it! Don't through your life away for us!" Bob and Damasen yelled out only to be silenced when Perses flicked his wrist and sent them flying into a wall. Looks like Perses's power here was absolute.

"Last chance Perseus. Final decision. Make you choice." Perses said, completely serious.

"I, Percy Jackson, swear upon the River Styx that I will abide by my terms and should I lose, I will give Perses whatever he wants." I said as thunder could be heard booming even from the pit.

"I, Perses, The Titan of Destruction, swear on the River Styx to abide by the terms set by Perseus Jackson and should I lose, will give him whatever he wants." Perses swore as thunder boomed again.

He stalked close to me, but I just glared back defiantly. He just smiled at my defiance.

"Know this Perseus, I will make your battles incredibly difficult, bordering on impossible. You will fail and you will be mine. Enjoy your freedom for now, what little bit of it you have left." He patted my cheek and I slapped it away. He just laughed.

"Oh yes, you will be an excellent champion of destruction. An excellent champion indeed!" He laughed hysterically as he left the room.

I quickly rushed over to my fallen friends and helped them up.

"Percy, why would you do that? Why would you be willing to bet your free will to Perses just so we can get out of here? It's not worth it." Damasen with an intensity that shocked me.

"Because I choose to. What kind of life is this to forever fight in a coliseum for the entertainment of monster and a mad titan? What kind of life is it to be ridiculed and tortured everyday? You are the children of the Primordials! You are great deities that don't deserve this kind of life! If there is even a remote chance of escaping here, I will take it and I would do anything for you guys. I only have a few people left that I am loyal too and that includes you too. Bob, I will help you see the stars again and Damasen, you will see the upper world once more. I promise." I said with fiery conviction.

Bob and Damasen were stunned by my outburst before looks of gratitude and hope came across their faces. The stood from the floor and towered over me.

"Well my friend, if you are gonna win this bet, then you need more training in hopes to survive." Damasen said.

"Yes. Perses is a cruel titan but also very crafty when he needs to be. He will throw everything possible at you to get you to fail. Monsters so old that demigods have never seen them before. You will need every advantage you can get." Bob said solemnly.

I nodded my head. "When do we start?" I asked and I could already tell from the looks on their faces.

They looked at each other before looking back at me.

"Now."

**So there is chapter 7! Hope you all liked it and I will answer any questions you have.**

**So Percy has learned to got into his mind and speak with the monsters that he has absorbed. He has learned to merge his and their minds into one, giving him all their memories, fighting skills, and increasing his powers ten-fold. He is still the dominant one in control; they are what you could call advisors in his mind that helps him control his abilities. If you have ever read comic books from DC, think of the hero Firestorm and how those guys merged into one superhero but only one of them controls the body.**

**So Percy has made a deadly bet with Perses in order to achieve his, Bob's and Damasen's freedom. The consequences are steep and he will need a lot more training to survive what is to come. Perses has a bunch of tricks up his sleeves and he is not afraid to use them.**

**I wanted to portray Perses as unpredictable in nature, like when he talks, his actions, and his whole personality. Destruction is random and unpredictable just like Perses; so sometimes he can be friendly, other times he can be a psychopathic killer that wants to destroy everything. Just like you everyday immortal.**

**I just want to let everyone know that I truly appreciate all your reviews and views and I will keep it up.**

**Please review if you like this chapter and if you want, please check out my other story "Betrayed Son of the Sea" **

**I will try to get that chapter written and up sometime this week so do not worry. It is coming.**


	8. New Threat on the Horizon

**Hey Everyone! Here's the eighth chapter to "Perseus Jackson Monster Shifter"! Sorry if the updates are a little slow, but I now have a job and it eating up a lot of my time. But do not worry, I will never abandon one of my stories and will try to update every week.**

**Also, the pairing for the story has been chosen and the winner is...****ARTEMIS!**

**Sorry to all who wanted someone different but Artemis won. But do not worry, i have an idea in mind that some people might like. But i will not tell what it is, you will just have to wait and see. Also, someone actually chose Annabeth for the pairing and that honestly surprised me.**

**Now on with the Story!**

**New Threat on the Horizon**

_**Previously…**_

"_Percy, why would you do that? Why would you be willing to bet your free will to Perses just so we can get out of here? It's not worth it." Damasen asked with an intensity that shocked me._

"_Because I choose to. What kind of life is this to forever fight in a coliseum for the entertainment of monster and a mad titan? What kind of life is it to be ridiculed and tortured everyday? You are the children of the Primordials! You are great deities that don't deserve this kind of life! If there is even a remote chance of escaping here, I will take it and I would do anything for you guys. I only have a few people left that I am loyal too and that includes you too. Bob, I will help you see the stars again and Damasen, you will see the upper world once more. I promise." I said with fiery conviction._

_Bob and Damasen were stunned by my outburst before looks of gratitude and hope came across their faces. The stood from the floor and towered over me._

"_Well my friend, if you are gonna win this bet, then you need more training in hopes to survive." Damasen said._

"_Yes. Perses is a cruel titan but also very crafty when he needs to be. He will throw everything possible at you to get you to fail. Monsters so old that demigods have never seen them before. You will need every advantage you can get." Bob said solemnly._

_I nodded my head. "When do we start?" I asked and I could already tell from the looks on their faces._

_They looked at each other before looking back at me. _

"_Now."_

_**Now…**_

**Third Person POV **

It was a peaceful night in the forests outside the cities in Nebraska. The weather was cool, the stars were twinkling in the sky, and the tranquil quietness of the forest was beautiful. Within the forest, if you looked very closely, you could see the silhouettes of figures rushing through the trees with the speed, grace, and silence of panthers. Every now and then, a figure would run through of patch of moonlight, illuminating a young girl covered in silver garb, wielding a silver bow and arrow with hunting knives strapped to her their thighs. But as quick as they appeared, they vanished without a trace back into the forest.

The Hunters of Artemis were trekking through the woods, hunting down a rouge pack of monsters that they have been assigned to eliminate by Zeus and the Council. Leading the group of immortal maidens was a young girl about the age of twelve with another older girl, close to the age of sixteen. The sixteen year old was wearing the usual silver attire but she had a Death-to-Barbie black t-shirt on with a silver tiara on her head, signifying she was the lieutenant. Her electric blue eyes scanned the area before turning to the younger girl.

"There are close, milady. We are closing in on them. And then we can report to _father_ that we have completed our task." Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis said with a scowl as she said father like it was the worst insult.

The younger girl nodded her head as she too had a distasteful look on her face at the mention of her father. This girl was nothing short of stunning and beautiful, with long-flowing auburn hair that cascaded down her back. Her silver eyes were mesmerizing as they glowed with power and seemed older than her present age showed. This was in fact Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Moon, and Maidens.

Artemis turned to look at Thalia, her expression softening as she looked at her angry and depressed lieutenant. She understood why she was so angry and sad. Heck she herself was burning up in fury at what her idiot of a father and the council had done to the only man that had ever gained her respect.

"Don't worry, Thalia. As soon as we eliminate these monsters, we can tell Zeus to go and shove it and do what we do best; hunt down what we want and turn boys into Jackelopes." Artemis joked, trying to get a reaction out of her half-sister.

Thalia gave her a small smile before it transformed back into a scowl. Artemis just sighed and shook her head, remembering the events after Percy was sentenced to Tartarus.

After that fateful council and the young Savior of Olympus fell into that black hole to hell, She, Hestia, and Hades were outraged and were ready to attack the rest of the council. They began screaming and protesting, demanding Percy be brought back immediately. Their demands fell on deaf ears as Zeus and the rest of the council, flashed out of the throne room, much to their fury.

The only one that remained behind was Apollo, who tried to approach her and reason with her. She responded by immediately shooting him in his crotch, followed by a ball of flames hitting him in the chest and a swirl of shadows wrapping around him and throwing him of off Olympus.

Artemis was shocked that Hestia actually attacked someone. Hestia usually didn't fight or attack anyone, but seeing her favorite demigod and nephew be cast into the Pit was heart-breaking to her and she was filled with righteous fury.

After one last, painful look at the spot where the last good man had fallen, Artemis flashed down to her hunter's camp.

She immediately sought out Thalia, who was in the Archery Range, shooting and laughing with her fellow sisters. She pulled her to the side and explained to her of the events that transpired on Olympus.

She almost regretted it.

Thalia's electric blue eyes blazed with fury as her whole body crackled with electricity. Storm clouds began to form overhead, responding the rage building within the daughter of Zeus. She screamed out in pain and anguish over the thought of her best friend, cousin, and brother, being cast into that place of nightmares once again. Percy and Thalia were so alike and so close that they were siblings in all but blood. They could tell each other anything and would die for each other without a moment's hesitation.

She screamed to the sky, yelling insults at her father and all the gods as a massive electrical storm formed for miles upon miles over the land. Lightning rained down and rain poured from the skies as she unleashed her fury on whatever she could. The Hunters were terrified at Thalia's display of power and even Artemis was a little scared.

After an hour of screaming and venting, she finally collapsed on the ground in tears, sobbing for her cousin. Artemis was shocked at the crying Thalia because she was always solid, rock solid. She was a leader like Percy and could handle almost anything, so seeing her cry was incredibly shocking.

Artemis collected the crying girl in her arms, whispering comforting words in her ear as all her sisters surrounded her and comforted her in her time of pain. They all knew how much Percy meant to Thalia and even they had to admit he was radically different from other males, being one of the only males in history to get the respect of the Hunt.

Thalia hasn't been the same since that day. She still laughed and smiled and joked with her sisters, but they could tell that some of it was forced. She threw herself head first into hunting and her training, pushing her limits to the max and beyond. Artemis actually had to sentence her to her tent for a break because she was pushing her muscles to hard and could have seriously damaged and she refused to call Apollo to heal injuries. An air of sadness and depression hung around her but she held strong for her sisters and her mistress.

Thalia always had a rocky relationship with her father but now she downright despised him. Artemis herself was disgusted with her family and would not return to Olympus unless an important meeting was called. Even then, she shot icy glares at her family who tried to talk to her, Hestia, and Hades, but all they got were arrows to sensitive parts of their body. Her relationship with Apollo had deteriorated until it was nearly non-existent. She wouldn't even look at him and was physically sick to think that he was her full-blooded twin.

It pained Artemis to see her Lieutenant and sister in this state. Even Artemis was hurting when she saw Percy fall into that hole straight down to hell. It hurt her heart to see that look of hurt, betrayal and anger on his face. It didn't look natural on his handsome face. She shouldn't be concerned about him, shouldn't feel this much pain about his fate, but she does and she can't explain it.

She didn't understand these feelings that she was feeling for the son of Poseidon. Ever since he rescued her from the sky, she could tell that he was different from other males; traveling across country head on into danger to save the woman he loved., taking the sky from her shoulders to give them all a fighting chance, and befriending Zoe, the biggest man-hater next to her, as she died. He continued to show his loyalty and selflessness after that, rallying the demigods to victory against Kronos and Gaea, turning down godhood twice for the bettering of Olympus, and doing it not for glory or fame, but for his friends and because it was right. Her admiration and respect for him grew with each heroic act and selfless act he did and she began to feel…affection for him.

That's right, Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, Hunt, Childbirth, and Maidens, Eternal Maiden and biggest man-hater on the planet, was developing affections and feelings for Percy Jackson, a male. Whenever she thought of him, her fluttered in her chest, whenever his name was mentioned, a small golden blush crossed her cheeks. He had somehow wormed his way into her heart, a place no other male had ever been able to reach and he did it without even trying. And now she could never tell him her feelings because her worthless family sentenced him to Tartarus.

With a single tear falling from her eye, she snapped out of her thoughts and back to the present. Artemis quickly wiped the tear away, hoping Thalia didn't see it, but her Lieutenant was very perceptive.

"Milady, what's wrong?" Thalia asked concerned.

Artemis just shook her head. "It's nothing Thalia. Just some…dust got in my eye." She said, thinking up the first reason she could think. She mentally face-palmed herself.

Thalia looked at her in amusement. "Really Artemis? That's your reason? That sounds like something Percy would say." She said laughing before she saddened at the mention of her cousin.

Artemis felt her chest tighten at his name but didn't say anything. She raised her hand and placed it on Thalia's shoulder.

"It' alright Thalia. I know it sounds weird coming from me, but I miss him too. He is a survivor. If anyone can survive down there it's him." She assured her.

Thalia's electric blue eyes met Artemis's silver eyes. "You really think so, milady?" She whispered out, eyes begging for reassurance.

Artemis gripped her shoulder. "I know so. He is YOUR cousin after all." She said, grinning slightly.

The smallest of smiles crossed her face, before she gave Artemis a quick hug. Releasing her from the embrace, she gave her one more smile before she went back into her hunter's mode.

"So milady, how much farther from our target are we?" She asked.

Artemis straightened up and surveyed the area with a calculating eye. With a quick scan, her hunter's senses picked up on all the small details.

"We are about two miles off. Those tracks on the ground signify about fifty of their number consisting of hellhounds, dracaenas, cyclopes, and maybe a Drakon." She said.

She scanned the broken leaves through the underbrush and took a deep breath in. "From the broken branches of the trees and bushes, they have on some heavy armors and weaponry. How they got that is concerning. If we travel north, we can cut them off and taken them by surprise." Artemis instructed. She then glanced up at the sky worriedly, where the moon was just a sliver crescent in the sky, barely casting any light and making the forest very dark.

The two hunters looked at each other before disappearing into the underbrush, with the rest of the hunters following after.

After about 15 minutes of running they came to the edge of a clearing. In the clearing was there target, a massive camp of monsters. As expected, there were fifty of their number, mostly consisting of hellhounds and dracaena, but there were about ten Cyclops in the group. They were all milling around the campfire, sharpening weapons, and such.

Artemis signaled to her girls, who all surrounded the camp, arming their bows with silver arrows. Within seconds, they were in position. On an unspoken signal from their mistress, they opened fire on the monster horde.

Silver arrows flew from the trees, hitting monster flesh and finding chinks in their armor, throwing them into pandemonium. Within moments, half of the monsters burst into golden dust from the hunter's arrows. However, the enemy was able to get into battle formation, raising their shields and having the arrows bounce of their metal surfaces.

Seeing their bows were no longer effective, the hunters reluctantly pulled out their hunting knives, while Thalia pulled out her shield and spear. Using their enhanced speed and grace, they darted from the trees, engaging the enemy.

The hunters were incredibly skilled as they used their superior speed, ducking and darting around the slower, heavier enemy. A hellhound pounced at Thalia, but she quickly dispatched it with a spear to its throat. Spinning around, she blocked a sword swipe with her shield. The Dracaena that was foolish enough to attack her, recoiled at the sight of Medusa's head on her shield before a Thalia's spear buried itself in her gut. The snake-woman immediately burst into dust before she moved on to the next monster.

The hunters were efficient at dealing with the rest of the monsters, even though their preferred weapon was the bow; they were masters of the hunting knives and wielded them like they were extensions of their bodies. The last hellhound fell by Artemis's own hunting knife as it burst into golden dust.

The hunters burst into cheers at their success, but Artemis felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly, the air grew heavy and cold as the area was plunged into darkness, not even the light of the moon could penetrate the clearing.

The hunters felt the coldness in their bones, slowly crumbling their wills as fear began to claw at their hearts. Not even Artemis was unaffected as she felt a vile and evil presence in the air, filling the air and making it hard to breathe.

Their fear skyrocketed as, out of the darkness, came another hundred monsters, each seeming to have a slight dark aura around them. That aura radiated dark power and they looked and felt stronger than the usual monsters. They all smiled evilly as they looked at the scared maidens and that set of a fire of determination in their hearts.

"Hello hunters." A large Cyclops said as he eyed them, making Artemis bristle in anger.

"What is it you want monster?" She hissed as the Cyclops chuckled.

"We want what we always want. We long for the taste of demigod flesh! And with the slight power boost from our master, we shall finally get it!" He yelled as the monsters cried out in approval.

"Over my dead body!" Thalia yelled out defiantly, brandishing her spear.

He smiled cruelly, sending a shiver down her spine. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"You will not harm my hunters!" Artemis said in a deadly voice.

He looked at her and gave a sick smile. "Ah yes, the little moon goddess. Our master will be quite pleased when we capture you."

Artemis and the hunters scoffed at his statement before glaring murderously at them.

"Who is your master?" She demanded, but the army just chuckled.

He wagged his finger at her in a patronizing way. "Ah ah ah, that would ruin the surprise. But he will rise once more and will consume the world. The age of the gods is at an end and with that insolent son of Poseidon in the pit, we shall rule the world!" He cried out arrogantly.

Artemis was bursting with fury but before she could retort, he beat her too it.

He pointed at them. "Monsters of Darkness! Attack them! Capture the Moon Goddess but the rest, destroy!" He shouted out as the monsters charged the hunters.

Pushing away the cold, the fear, and the suffocating air, they charged with a yell of defiance.

Crashing into the monsters, the hunters fought with fire, but they could tell these monsters were more powerful, more durable, and harder to kill.

"Milady! What do we do?" Phoebe cried out, as she sliced a Cyclops in half, only to be replaced by two more.

Artemis fired three arrows in rapid succession, each hitting a monster in their chest, making them explode into golden dust and shadows. Wait…Shadows? She was broken out of that thought as she heard a cry of pain to her left. What she saw there chilled her blood.

Thalia, fought like a demon, her spear crackling with electricity as the air currents swirled around her, pushing the other monsters back. She jumped up and thrusted her spear into the eye of a Cyclops. She spun around, extending her spear as the sharp head cut through three Laestrygonian giants that were trying to sneak up on her. She ducked, dodged, stabbed, countered, and blocked multiple attacks from the monsters. She cried out in pain as she felt a sword slice across her back. She whirled around only to feel a club slam into her side, sending her flying into a tree.

Looking up dazed from the blow, she gasped in pain as she felt that her rib was broken from the blow and feeling her blood running down her back. Three Cyclopes were approaching her, smiling at her lecherously. She shivered at their looks before raw anger flowed through her system.

Despite the pain, she climbed to her feet, electricity dancing in her eyes. The Cyclopes were oblivious of the rage building with the daughter of Zeus as sparks flashed across her skin.

"Everyone down!" Thalia shouted as she summoned up as much lightning within her body as she could.

Artemis's eyes widened. "Hunters! Fall back!" She cried out.

The hunters disengaged from their opponents and scurried back to the trees of the clearing. Thalia could feel a tugging in her gut as the sky above darkened even more, as black thunder clouds, booming with thunder, formed over the clearing. More and more lightning streaked across the sky and with a massive burst of concentration; Thalia summoned the biggest lightning bolt she could.

Lightning blasted out of the clouds, striking Thalia as she raised her hands into the air. Gritting her teeth in pain as the lightning arched through her body, she absorbed all the lighting. Pointing her hands at the horde of monsters, she let loose hundreds of tendrils of lighting, each bolt containing a lethal dose of volts. All the bolts streaked towards their targets, hitting all the monsters in the chest, where they all screamed in agony before bursting into dust and shadow.

Thalia was breathing hard and was sweating profusely from summoning that much power. She collapsed to the ground, but before she hit, Artemis caught her and laid her down gently. She summoned up a square of ambrosia and stuffed the godly food into the pale huntresses mouth.

The godly food did its job as Thalia's color returned to normal, and her energy returned to her in a rush.

Artemis hugged her sister before pulling back with a stern look. "Don't do that again! I already lost one Lieutenant, I'm not willing to lose another." She scolded.

Thalia rolled her eyes but nodded her head anyways and smiled at her mother figure. Her smile dropped as she heard a groan of pain coming of to her left. All the hunters immediately drew their bows and aimed at the threat.

On the ground was a blackened and severely burned Cyclops who was groaning in pain. Artemis stopped over towards it, pulling out a knife and driving it throw the one-eyed monsters shoulder. It cried out in pain as Artemis twisted the knife viciously.

"Who is your master? Tell me and I MAY give you an easy death." Artemis threatened, her eyes glowing silver.

The Cyclops coughed up some blood before chuckling weakly. "It must pain you Moon Goddess…not knowing. Whatever you do to me will not be nearly as painful as what my master would do if I betrayed hi-ARRRGGGGHH!" He yelled in pain as Artemis drove another knife into his other shoulder.

"Tell me now!" She shouted.

He just smiled weakly, blood staining his lips. "Go ahead, kill me. The you'll be sending me to watch some great entertainment by that son of Poseidon." He rasped out.

Artemis jerked away in surprise before grabbing him by his throat and pulling him till their faces were inches apart.

"What did you say? What son of Poseidon?" She said in a deadly tone. Thalia and the other hunters inched forward, all wanting to know what the Cyclops was talking about.

"Oh haven't you heard? _Perseus Jackson_," The Cyclops hissed out, "is trapped in the Arena of Tartarus. He is facing the worst monsters the Pit has to offer and he will be dead before you know it!" He laughed hysterically.

Artemis, Thalia and the hunters gasped in horror. The Arena of the Pit? Percy was trapped in the Arena of the Pit?! He's gonna die! He's a goner! They thought is despair.

The monster just smiled cruelly at them. "Oh yes. Thank you oh mighty Olympians. You have given the biggest threat to my master and have given us entertainment for the next few Centuries! Oh I can't wait till he is eaten by a Drakon! Maybe I'll fight him myself along with another thousand of my brethren!" He cried out in evil glee.

He suddenly exploded as a bolt of lightning hit him square in the head. Artemis looked over to see her Lieutenant with an outstretched hand and tears pouring from her eyes as a look of horror and despair was upon her face.

Artemis rushed over and pulled her into a hug as she sobbed into her shoulder. All the other hunters had tears on their eyes at the thought of the only good man being tortured in the worst place in the pit and they were terrified at who this mysterious master was.

Artemis pulled away with a look of resignation on her face. "I must call an emergency council meeting. As much as I don't want to, whatever this mysterious threat is, it could spell doom for Olympus." She said solemnly.

Thalia nodded her head. "I'll watch the hunt milady. And send my regards to Hades and Hestia. Oh and tell Zeus and the council to go sit on his lightning bolt." She said.

Artemis smiled slightly before she flashed away in a silver light. One thing was for certain, whatever threat was on the horizon, it was powerful and could spell disaster for Olympus. But her heart felt a trickle of hope; if Percy was the biggest threat to this force, then maybe, just maybe, they can retrieve him from Tartarus and he can see him once more.

Unknown to her, in the clearing she flashed out of, a dark presence could be felt as the shadows stirred and swirled.

A mysterious voice, filled with evil and darkness whispered into the night sky. "**Soon, little Moon Goddess. All will tremble before my might and not you, the Olympians, not even that son of Poseidon demigod, will be able to stop me."**

And with that, the dark presence left the clearing, fading away into the night.

**And there is Chapter 8. You all wanted it, now you got it!**

**Thanks to a reviewer, I was asked to put in different POVs to my story and I thought it was a great idea. So I thought about outing a POV on what Artemis and Thalia were doing. Well here it is.**

**Next Chapter will deal with Percy's training and another fight with a monster. The stakes are higher than ever and you will see new powers and new weapons soon.**

**Please review and leave any thoughts or ideas that could liven up the story! All reviews are welcome!**

**If you like this story, check out my other one "Betrayed Son of the Sea".**


	9. More Training and New Family

**More Training and New Family**

_**Previously…**_

_Artemis smiled slightly before she flashed away in a silver light. One thing was for certain, whatever threat was on the horizon, it was powerful and could spell disaster for Olympus. But her heart felt a trickle of hope; if Percy was the biggest threat to this force, then maybe, just maybe, they can retrieve him from Tartarus and he can see him once more._

_Unknown to her, in the clearing she flashed out of, a dark presence could be felt as the shadows stirred and swirled._

_A mysterious voice, filled with evil and darkness whispered into the night sky. "__**Soon, little Moon Goddess. All will tremble before my might and not you, the Olympians, not even that son of Poseidon demigod, will be able to stop me."**_

_And with that, the dark presence left the clearing, fading away into the night._

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

"Again!" Came the sharp response from my trainer. I slowly picked myself up from the ground, wincing at the bruises that were forming on my skin. I was getting annoyed and angry at this vicious training regiment, but I forced those emotions down. It wouldn't be productive to lash out at my trainer for pushing me hard. I would need every single advantage I could gain if I was to survive in the Arena.

I was currently in the training area of the Arena. It was an oval-shaped room about 500 meters, tip to tip. There were so many different sections in the training room to enhance one's skill. It had an archery range, spear-fighting range, sword arena, and much more. Covering the walls of the room were all sorts od varieties of weapons, from spears and swords, bows and arrows, knives and throwing stars, and whips and lashes. In one area of the wall, were a section of weapons that was for the sole purpose of cruelty and brutality. Weapons in this section were twisted to inflict as much pain as humanly possible to give the audience a good show. It made me sick just thinking about it, but it also intrigued me as well.

Another special place about this training room was that it had a special section where monsters could work on their own specific ability. For Giants and Cyclopes, they had a strength area to strengthen their muscles. For monsters with wings, there was a aerial obstacle course above us. The place was like Camp-Halfblood. You know, if Camp was designed for monsters.

On my feet, I looked over at my trainer, Bob, who was leaning lazily against his 12-foot spear. He was in his 10-foot form right now, so as to help me adjust to fighting opponents much bigger than me. He had a stern look in his solid, silver eyes as he scrutinized me; assessing my strengths and weaknesses. It seems that when he regained his memories, his skill with the spear has skyrocketed.

I bent down a retrieved my own spear from the ground. Bob wanted me to be versatile in a variety of weaponry so not only does he train me with a sword, but he wanted me to train me in his form of combat.

The spear I held was the first thing that I made in the forges of the Arena. Turns out that when you absorb 7 Cyclopes in your head, you gain a whole lot of forging knowledge. The spear was about 7 feet long, about 8 inches taller than me. It was made out of Stygian Iron, Celestial Bronze, with just a bit of Titan Silver added to the mix. Bob gave me the Titan Silver and it turns out that this metal, when added to other godly metals, makes a weapon virtually unbreakable and indestructible. It also imbued it with magical properties that allowed me to manipulate the weapons structure a bit. If I pressed a certain button, the spearhead splits into two prongs and a third point rises from the shaft, creating a trident. It should be a nice little surprise against any opponent.

"Come on Percy! We've been at this for hours now and you still can't land a blow on me!" Bob cried out in exasperation.

I gritted my teeth, feeling them sharpen slightly. Ever since I combined with the monsters in my mind, their forms are now truly apart of me and my body reacts to my anger, shifting without my knowledge.

"What do you expect Bob? You've been doing this for thousands of years! I'm lucky that you haven't skewered me yet!" I exclaimed.

Bob just sighed. "Listen to me Percy, If you want to prevail and win your little bet with Perses, you need to open your mind to other skill sets." He said.

"I know that. I'm already one of the best swordsmen in history, according to Chiron; I have a bag of Celestial Bronze cannon balls that I can launch with speed and accuracy, and I have my powers from being a son of Poseidon that have grown to be on par with Triton! Not to mention having a variety of monsters that I can shift into!" My voice rose with each word, my patience at an end.

Bob raised an eyebrow. "That may be true Percy, but it never hurts to learn another skill. Not to mention, how much control do you have over your forms?" He questioned.

I shrugged. "I can shift from one monster to the next in less that a second and control their powers pretty well." I said.

"But what is the full extent?" He pressed. "Can you combine to of your forms to make a hybrid form? Can you do a half shift, combing your form with that of a monster's? And have you truly tapped into the unbridled savagery within the monsters mind?"

I remained silent, assessing my abilities. "What do you mean, the unbridled savagery within the monster's mind? Haven't I showed that enough in my last fight?" I questioned.

He shook his head. "No you haven't." His simple statement was not what I was expecting. I snapped out of my shock as he continued on with his explanation.

"The mind of a monster is a very dark place. I'm sure you have seen it when you melded with the consciousness of the monster you have absorbed. I can that it has affected your personality as well. You're more brutal, vicious in your attacks, and ruthless in fighting, but you have yet to fully embrace your savage nature. I hate to say this because I know you and I see that this brutality that now lies within you, scares you. But you must embrace that side of you and you will hold a power that you have never known." Bob said.

"But what if I lose control? What if I succumb to the darkness inside me and I can't break free?" I asked in desperation. I didn't want to lose that part of me that would always be the hero and be the one to strive for what is right.

Bob placed a hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring look. "You will not lose yourself, Percy. Your heart is one of the best I have seen in a long time, and it cannot fall. You can learn to find a balance between the light and darkness in your soul. I have faith in you." He said confidently.

I was touched by his words and my resolve strengthened. "Then why don't we get back to training?" I said with a bit of challenge in my voice.

Bob laughed and assumed an offensive stance. I assumed my stance and we raced towards each other, initiating out fight.

We trained all day and I got my ass handed to me a lot. But I improved drastically after mine and Bob's little talk. With fiery determination, I was relentless in my attacks. I accessed a little bit of my monster strength, practicing my technique of shifting while still in human form; accessing bits of power from the monsters. I learned the basics of spear fighting; standard blocks, thrusts, sweeps, and counters. It wasn't enough to beat Bob, but I did have to keep him on his toes most of the time.

After we got done with training, we headed back to our cell. Walking down the hall to go to your cell is not fun, especially when all the monsters in their own cells are screaming bloody murder at you.

"You will die Jackson! I will see you in the Arena!"

"Wait till I get my hands of you Sea Spawn! You kill my brother and I will kill you for what you did!"

"Come over here Perseus, I can show you a good time if you want."

The voices of the monster rang down the hallway but I didn't even flinch. I only felt a little disgusted by the female monsters trying to seduce me. Apparently, I have so much of a reputation among the monster world that many want to kill me or seduce me then kill me. I don't know whether to be proud that I'm like the boogeyman among the monsters or disgusted that some of them want to do me.

"Come get some son of Poseidon! I can show you a good time all night long!" An Empousai said seductively, eyeing me lustfully.

Ok, I'm disgusted. I nearly fled into the safety of me cell.

Damasen was sitting on his cot, mixing some unknown ingredients in a bowl. Probably some miracle cure concoction he cooked up. When we entered, he looked up from his mixing and smiled at us.

"You have a good training session?" He asked, with a sly smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, I just love getting tossed around like a rag doll trying to learn how to wield a spear. It's been so much fun." I said sarcastically.

They just chuckled at my attitude and I glared at them. It didn't last before I too was laughing. Hades, it felt so good to laugh again. After they settled down, we sat on our cots and began conversing.

"So Percy, I know you only told us the short version of what happened, but what exactly happened up on Olympus when you were tossed down here?" Damasen asked in curiosity.

My eyes darkened as all the mirth left my face and it became stoic. "Why do you want to know that?" I said in a tone devoid of emotion.

They glanced at each other before looking at me in concern. "We want to help you Percy. I know that what they did is eating you up on the inside. We thought that talking about it would help you bear the pain a little more." Bob said carefully.

My eyes softened when I saw that they truly wanted to help me. I was still so wary to trust anyone anymore, but I knew that I could trust these two immortals. I smiled internally. Who would have thought that the only people I would be able to trust and confide in in this hellhole would be a Titan and a Giant?

"Well, it all started with my half-brother Eric showed up at camp…" I told them my entire story; every detail, every mishap, every word that was said to me. I got to the part when Poseidon disowned me and I looked at the normally peaceful Titan and Giant and I could tell they were barely containing their fury. I got the part where only Artemis, Hestia, and Hades stood up for me and they smiled slyly at each other, when I mentioned Artemis. I blushed when I mentioned her, feeling my face heat up and a butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Does someone have a little crush on the my grand-niece?" Bob said mischievously. I face got beet red and I tried to glare at them, but it doesn't really work when your face is all red.

"Shut up." I mumbled which caused them to laugh.

"Would you look at the Bob, looks like we all got something that we all want to see when we get out of here." Damasen said while chuckling.

"Oh really? And what is that?" I snapped at them, still embarrassed.

Damasen sobered up real quick. "It's simple really, I want to see the earth again, Bob wants to see the stars twinkling in the sky and you want to see the moon. OR the goddess that represents the moon." He added on with a wink.

We sat there in silence for a little bit, reminiscing in the bittersweet memories. It was true that I wanted to see the moon when I got out of Tartarus. The moon always seemed to hold a strong hold over me when I was growing up. I could only put it down to that I since I was part of the sea and the moon affected the tides of the oceans that It would only make sense that it would have an affect on me.

I smiled wistfully, thinking about a certain auburn-haired, silver-eyed goddess. I couldn't get over the tingly feeling I was feeling whenever I thought of her. When I was being tortured by Kronos, it was her face that flashed into my mind that kept me sane. Her stern silver eyes filled with so much power that could freeze a wolf with a look, but behind that hard exterior, shone a kindness and passion that I have rarely seen in few. I couldn't sort out my feelings for Artemis, but all I knew was that when I got out of hear, I would try and talk to her and see what these feelings were.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Bob and Damasen started speaking to me.

"Perseus," Damasen started. I straightened up really quickly, sensing that they were about to talk about something serious. They never used my full name unless it was important.

"Perseus, me and Bob have a very important thing we need to talk to you about." Damasen said looing slightly nervous. I was curious to what they wanted to talk to me about.

Bob picked up. "As you know, Perses will be trying his best to get you to lose your fights and will do anything her possibly can. So me and Damasen have an offer that we want to propose to you." He said, looking more and more nervous.

Now I was intrigued as to what they wanted to offer me.

"Considering what happened with the gods and how Poseidon disowned you and you disowned him, and how you need to survive these fights, me and Bob would like to bless you." Damasen said.

I was struck speechless and I was then stunned by what Bob said next.

"I would also like to know if I would be able to adopt you Percy?" Bob said, uncertainty in his eyes but also a little hope.

I tried to speak and I'm pretty sure I looked like a fish opening and closing my mouth the way I was.

"Y-you want to bless and adopt me?" I said uncomprehendingly.

They nodded. "I haven't had that much luck with my children Percy. You've seen how Atlas and Prometheus turned out. But after what we went through in the past and what you are doing for us right now, I see you as the son I always wanted. A son who is strong, but is not arrogant, fierce yet gentle, and above all, kind and loyal." Bob said sincerely.

I just sat there in silence for a moment, contemplating on what I just heard. Smiling, I nodded my head at them, making wide smiles cross their faces.

"And while we may not be at our full power, you will have our full blessings. And when Bob adopts you, you will still be, biologically, a son of Poseidon, so you won't lose any of you powers, but you will gain all the powers of Bob as if you were one of his sons." Damasen explained.

"Okay. I'm ready." I said. They closed their eyes and began to chant in Ancient Greek. I could feel the air begin to pulse in power as their voices lowered and rose in tempo with the pulsing in the air. The lights flickered and the shadows swirled in the room. With a final shout, their hands glowed a rust red and harsh bright silver. Streams of light wrapped around my body before they seeped into my skin, combining with my soul.

I felt the familiar rush of power flow through my system but this power was different. It felt stronger, more ancient, and raw. If it was even possible, I felt my muscles become even more defined. I looked down and saw that my skin had a slight tinge of red to it, probably from Damasen.

I looked up to see my new father and uncle looking at me in shock and awe.

"What?" I asked. My voice felt deeper and smoother, like a soulful musician's. Wordlessly, they handed me a mirror. Looking into it I saw what shocked them.

My face looked liked it was sculpted from marble with defining cheekbones and a strong jaw. I still looked like me, but I could see I acquired a few features from Bob in my cheeks and forehead. My hair was still its raven black color, but it had a faint red tinge to it, much like my skin now does. The grey streak that I got from holding the sky was now a bright silver, making it stand out and I have to say it looked pretty good.

But what shocked me most were my eyes. The sea green was still dominant, but I now had a silver ring around my pupil with rust red flecks decorating my iris. Those colors, combined with the new monstrous ferocity that was always present and the power that seemed to swirl in their depths, made my eyes look stunning.

I said the first thing that came to my mind. "My eyes sort of look like Christmas what with the silver, red and green in them." Damn ADHD.

The just looked at me for a moment before they burst out laughing. They had tears streaming down their faces and were clutching their sides. I glared at them, but that just made them laugh even more.

"Good Gaea, you truly are a Seaweed Brain!" Bob gasped out.

I smiled slightly at hearing the nickname. While SHE may have given it to me I was good to hear it again.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." I grumbled. After finally composing themselves I asked the serious question.

"So what does your blessing give me?" I asked. I was excited to see what new powers I would gain from my new father and uncle.

"Well, even though I'm the Anti-Ares, you prowess in battle is enhanced. No matter the weapon or form of combat, you will be able to hold you own and know the basics. You must practice in those forms of combat to become a master, but you will excel quickly." Damasen said while grinning.

I smiled as well, before grinning evilly at my new dad. Looks like spear fighting just got a whole lot easier.

"You will also have enhanced healing capabilities and along with enhanced strength. There is also one special power that goes with my blessing. Just say the phrase '_Giant Form'_ and see what happens." He said.

I said the phrase and felt a tingling throughout my body, not unlike when I shift. I felt myself growing taller and more muscular until I was ten feet tall. My skin color was rust red and my hair was shaggier and the same color. I looked down and yelped in surprise. I had blood red dragon scaled legs! They were just like those of the Giants that I fought in the war.

Damasen was nodding in approval, smiling happily. "When in Giant form, you are sort of like a miniature me, with all my powers and battle prowess. However, you don't have my curse where both a god and demigod to die must kill you. You also can't stay in that form for long. This is like a last resort power and if you use it too much, your body could be incinerated." He explained as I nodded my head. I shifted back to my other form and looked to Bob.

Bob ran his hand through his hair, before speaking. "Since I was the Titan of the Underworld before Hades, you have power over the dead and all things under the earth. Think of your power level between that of Nico and Hades; more powerful than Nico, but not as powerful as Hades."

"So I'm more powerful than Nico at his won game now?" I said eagerly, a small smile forming on my face. "Oh he's gonna hate that."

Bob had a smile on his face before he began to chuckle. "Yes, yes he is. You also have slight power over fire. Call fire to your palm and see what happens."

I focused on my hand and felt my nerves begin to tingle. A ball of silver fire burst into my palm and I was mesmerized by the swirling flames. It was like the light of the moon in my hands and I couldn't help but think of Artemis. I dispelled the fire and found I was sweating and panting pretty hard.

"You just need practice. My Titan's fire is a lot harder to control. You also have slight control over pain as I am the Titan of Pain and Violent Death." He said a little disgusted. I guess he didn't like those titles, as he is now a different person.

I walked over to them and pulled them into a hug. They were startled but returned the hug regardless.

"Thank you guys for these gifts you have given me." I said gratefully.

I chuckled a little as a random thought crossed my mind. "Since Bob adopted me, did you know that makes you my uncle Damasen?"

They both looked thoughtful before they too laughed. "Well that makes us a new family. One that won't turn on each ever." Bob said in determination.

"A new family…" I said wistfully. "I think I'd like that…dad."

Bob smiled widely before wrapping me in a hug that was full of fatherly affection. He then looked at me in a mock seriousness.

"Ok son, now it's time to go to bed. You got a big day of training tomorrow!" He said a little too enthusiastically.

"Oh come on! You're dad for mot even a few minutes and already you're bossing me around?" I said in mock anger.

Bob just smiled mischievously. "Yep" He said popping the 'P'.

I rolled my eyes but grinned anyways. "Alright. Goodnight dad. Night Uncle D." I said as I laid down on my little cot.

I couldn't help this feeling of contentment. For the first time since I've been down here, I feel content. I have a new family that cared for me and gave me new abilities in order to survive future fight. I will fight my hardest to ensure their safety and that is a promise. On that last thought I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to the realm of Hypnos.

**LINE BREAK (1 Year Later) **

**Third Person POV**

It's been over a year in Tartarus since Percy arrived at the Arena and he was adopted by Bob and blessed by Damasen. He spent that year training his mind, body, and powers to their max. His prowess using a spear has increased until he could give Bob a good run for his money. He trained constantly in his weaponry, practicing everyday with sword, spear/trident, cannonballs, and club until he could wield all his weapons as if they were extensions of his being. He also trained in various forms of hand-to-hand combat, when mixed with his monster strength, could deal devastating blows. The blessing his new uncle gave him, helped him tremendously in weapons training.

Not only did he work on his weaponry combat, but on his powers as a son of Poseidon and his blessings from his new family. His power over water was now on par with Triton. He could manipulate all forms of water, ice, and water vapor, using them as a primary weapon if the need called for it. His power over earth has increased to untold levels when Bob adopted him. He could make sharp, stone spikes erupt from the earth, make the land shift under his feet, encase his enemies in stone, and even cause a whirlpool out of land, but that was really taxing on his energy.

His power over silver fire had grown too, but he still struggled with it. He could do basic things like light his hands on fire, project fireballs, and even a fire stream but his power over fire was the one power he wasn't advanced in.

His power over metals, shadows, and death that came from Bob's blessing had been exhausting work, but his technique and manipulation was growing everyday. He could now shadow travel in his human body and could shadow travel with others as well. He tried to shadow travel out of the arena, but he just bounced off an invisible shield and was knocked unconscious for two days.

Not only that but, his healing capabilities rose and surpassed that of a child of Apollo. He figured that he could beat Apollo in healing now and that gave him a feeling of dark satisfaction. He still hated what he and the rest of the gods did, but he was focusing and channeling his anger and hatred into his training, making him ruthless, efficient, and brutal. He still hasn't completely embraced the savagery of a monster yet, but he was trying.

His control over his monster forms has increased as well. Ever since his talk with Bob that fateful day, he has pushed himself into refining his control over the monsters within him. He would mediate for hours on end, conversing and consulting the monsters within his mind. Through meditation, he was able to unlock the key to being able to perform a half transformation, where he would call upon a certain body part, sense, or power from a monster that he needed.

He could coat his body in the fur of the Nemean Lion and make his skin nigh indestructible. He could form his hands into spiked claws that could punch through flesh, bone, and steel. He could call upon the sight of the Cyclopes and see all the ranges of the Electromagnetic Spectrum, sharpening his eyesight into that of a hunter.

But there were still a few drawbacks to his power. He could only call upon one power from different monsters at a time and could only hold it for so long. He could have all the powers of a hellhound, but if he needed the impenetrable fur from the Nemean Lion, he would have to drop his hellhound form before he could proceed. If he was rested and well, he could hold the power for over an hour before he couldn't hold it anymore. He could extend the time through training and that was what he was doing. He still couldn't combine his monster forms together and that irritated him to no end. He knows that he could do it, but something was blocking him from achieving complete symbioses.

During that whole year, Percy hasn't had a single fight. And that made him seriously anxious. Even though he was grateful for the time to practice and get to know his new father and uncle, he knew that Perses was searching for all available, powerful monsters he could get his hands on in order to beat him. He would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, hearing a roar of ancient power and that would send shivers down his spine.

Then finally came the day where they came for him.

He was conversing and laughing with his father and uncle, enjoying their company after another successful training session and meditation. Suddenly, the door was flung open with a loud bang and Perses walked in smiling maniacally.

"Hello dearest Uncles! Oh and Perseus, I sense that my uncles have blessed you and even…Good Gaea, Iapetus adopted you! That makes you my cousin now! Welcome to the family little cousin!" He yelled happily, sweeping him up in a massive hug.

Bob and Damasen were looking at Perses in disgust, while Percy was just annoyed at what the crazy titan was doing. He could never predict what Perses was going to do, and he was of the sea! HE was supposed to be the unpredictable one!

After escaping from the crazy titan, he looked up and glared at him. "What do you want Perses?" He snapped.

Perses's eyes narrowed before a crazy smile stretched across his mouth. "Now now, dear cousin. It time for your first fight. I've been recruiting from all over Tartarus for the best monsters for you to fight! Oh it's gonna be so entertaining!" Perses exclaimed excited.

"After all," Perses rushed forward, pinning Percy to the wall with his forearm at his throat, "we still have that little bet going on. And trust me when I say, there is no way you can win." Perses whispered in his ears, cold insanity dancing in his mix-matched eyes.

Percy felt a growl deep in his throat. He was so sick and tired of this titan pushing him against the walls and treating him and his family like they were nothing. Summoning the strength of the Laestrygonian Giants he shoved Perses's off of him and pushed him to the other side of the room, where he hit the wall with a satisfying smack. Percy was immediately surrounded by guards and was thrown to the ground where they began to kick and punch him viciously.

"Wait." That one word held enough authority to where the guards literally froze. Perses pushed himself from the floor and was walking over to the pinned Percy, a mad look in his eye. Bob and Damasen were struggling with their own captors, but their powers weren't working correctly for some reason.

Just when Percy though that Perses was finally going to snap at him and kill him, he was in for a shock. Instead of killing him, Perses smiles a genuine smile, one full of interest. Percy caught a glimpse of newfound respect in his eyes.

"Not bad cousin. Not bad at all. Not many can throw me off of them, but you, you managed to surprise me once again. You will make a fine champion, a fine champion indeed." Perses said.

"Will you stop calling me cousin?" Percy said in exasperation. "I already have four great cousins thank you and I don't need anymore thank you."

Perses's smile only got wider. He turned to the guards and glared at them. "Now why do you got to rough my cousin up?" He said completely ignoring Percy's plea. "Heal him up and escort him to his fight. We have a big crowd waiting outside for us!"

Percy felt the guards getting off of him and he climbed to his feet. One of the guards came back with a first aid kit, but Percy just shook his head.

"No thanks. Got it covered." He focused on his healing power and he was engulfed in a rust red light, before all his bruises and scratches cleared up. Perses just gave that creepy insane smile again.

"Got to love Uncle Damasen's blessing huh? Escort him to the Arena. His opponent is anxious to meet his little…chew toy." Perses laughed maniacally as he left the room.

Percy was escorted to the cage where he was first out in where he had his first fight in the Arena. He just sat there and waited, peeking through the bars of the cage and surveying the crowd of monsters. He listened closely and he heard that they were chanting. Listening even closer he heard the mane they were chanting.

"Shifter! Shifter! Shifter! SHIFTER! SHIFTER! SHIFTER!"

_Great,_ He thought _Now I'm a favorite gladiator about to be feed to the proverbial lions._

He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Perses's voice rang out through the humongous Arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemonsters, freaks of all ages! Welcome to the Arena of Tartarus!" He cried out in an enthusiastic tone. The crowd cheered and stomped their feet in approval.

Perses raised a hand to quiet them. "Now, as you know, the Arena has been closed for over a year and I am truly sorry about that." He said, sounding apologetic.

"But it was for a good reason. I have searched the four corners of Tartarus to find the most powerful, evil, most ancient monsters in all of Greek Mythology to fight a worthy challenge. One that has been a thorn in your sides for far too long!" The monsters were holding their breath in anticipation, looking like they were about to explode in excitement.

"His first fight against the Nemean Lion has taken the Monster world by storm! He is the Son of the Sea, Mauler of Monsters, The Killer of Kronos, and The Gutter of Gaea! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Perseus Jackson, The Monster Shifter!" He shouted into the microphone and the crowd went wild.

The cell gate rose and Percy walked out in his pitch-black clothing, with black combat boots and his weapons all displayed on my person. His clothes clung to his form, showing of his sculpted physique and monster enhanced body. Most of the monsters were roaring for his blood while a lot of the female monsters were gazing at him lustfully. It creeped him out to see their hungry stares.

"Now his competitor! He was the first of his kind that was born off Night and Darkness. He is the Silent Stalker, the Whisper in the Dark, ladies and gentlemen, I give you THE KING OF ALL HELLHOOOUUNNDDDSSSS!" He bellowed into his microphone.

From the other side of the Arena, a huge gate opened, leading straight into pitch darkness. From the darkness, two floating red orbs could be seen, glowing with a feral intensity and hatred. From out of the darkness came the largest Hellhound that had ever been seen. This Hellhound was at least 50 feet tall and 100 feet long! His blacker than midnight coat was matted with mud and blood, signaling all his kills. He muscles were bulging against his skin, signaling he was stronger than any hellhound. He had ever faced before. It's claws looked like 5-foot swords and its teeth looked like deadly spears, waiting to skewer him.

But it was his eyes that sent shivers down his spine. In his eyes were the feral intensity, anger, and hatred, but they also held an intellect and ancientness that stunned Him. He was older than the gods themselves, being born from Nyx herself.

_Demigod!_ The creature spoke in my mind. _I have heard of you and how you have killed many of my subjects and children. For that I shall kill you. I shall tear you to pieces and eat your cold, bleeding corpse and avenge my fallen children. Prepare yourself demigod. PREPARE!_

**Percy POV**

The King of all Hellhounds threw his head back and let out a mind-numbing howl. Suddenly, all the hellhound in the stands, shadow traveled in front of their master, forming a virtual sea of black beasts that I had to fight. All their red eyes were boring a hole straight at me and I wanted to flinch away, but steeled my resolve. Taking out my sword in one hand and spear in the other, I crouched down into a defensive stance. I focused on the Nemean Lion and felt its golden, impenetrable fur coat my body and its natural strength and grace tingling in my muscles. I would need its impenetrable hide to survive this.

"You want some?" I yelled out defiantly. "Come and get some!"

On an unspoken command, the hellhounds broke rank and rushed me, mouth open, ready to devour me. Steeling my resolve and focusing on my promise to Bob and Damasen, I let out a breath and dashed forward straight into the sea of black.

**And there is chapter 9! I know I know, I'm evil to end it there, but I have the outline of the next chapter already in mind. Let's see Percy get out of this one shall we?**

**So Bob (Iapetus) Adopted Percy and Damasen blessed him. Two of the oldest beings, born from the primordial, blessed him. Talk about power. But as you can see, he is slowly developing his power and skills, refining them down to the last detail. **

**He will not be able to beat everything so easily, because that would be too easy. Oh no, he will struggle, fight, and claw for his survival, getting quite a few injuries along the way.**

**So, I decided his first opponent will be the King of all Hellhounds. Turns out that hellhounds are born from Nyx herself. I found that pretty interesting. To everyone who wanted monsters like the Hydra or Minotaur, be patient my pretties, they will come.**

**Next chapter will be the fight and he will have more fights afterwards. We may also see a little bit of what is going on the surface. What will happen, we shall see.**

**If you like this story, Check out my other one "Betrayed Son of the Sea"**

**Thanks you for all the views and reviews! It feels great to see that and inspires me to write more. Please review!**


	10. A New King is Crowned

**A King is Crowned**

_**Previously…**_

_The King of all Hellhounds threw his head back and let out a mind-numbing howl. Suddenly, all the hellhound in the stands, shadow traveled in front of their master, forming a virtual sea of black beasts that I had to fight. All their red eyes were boring a hole straight at me and I wanted to flinch away, but steeled my resolve. Taking out my sword in one hand and spear in the other, I crouched down into a defensive stance. I focused on the Nemean Lion and felt its golden, impenetrable fur coat my body and its natural strength and grace tingling in my muscles. I would need its impenetrable hide to survive this._

"_You want some?" I yelled out defiantly. "Come and get some!"_

_On an unspoken command, the hellhounds broke rank and rushed me, mouth open, ready to devour me. Steeling my resolve and focusing on my promise to Bob and Damasen, I let out a breath and dashed forward straight into the sea of black._

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

Dashing into the horde of demon dogs was maybe one of the top ten most dangerous and stupidest things I have ever done. I was a speck of gold amongst of sea of black, leaping, ducking, and dodging, with the natural grace I acquired from the Nemean Lion. I thanked my lucky stars for the impenetrable golden fur that coated my body. Without out it and the feline grace, I would have been sliced to ribbons in the first 10 seconds.

I could feel the hellhounds all around, snarling with drool dripping from their sharp, dagger-like teeth. Their furry bodies were pressed against me, the pressure becoming close to unbearable. I gritted my teeth, pushing against the mass of bodies that were all around me, trying to crush me. I did not go through decades of torture, pain, and training to get killed by a bunch of slobbering mutts. With an inhuman roar, I tensed my leg muscles and blasted all the hellhounds back by a good ten feet. I was able to catch my breath and survey the situation.

There had to be at least one thousand hellhounds surrounding me. Dogs the size of Hondas, with black lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing gleaming canines that looked like glistening silver. Their fur was caked in dust and blood from recent kills, and was matted in places. Their muscles were tensed, ready to snap at the first sign of movement, too tear me apart with razor sharp claws. Their blood-red eyes were glaring at me with murderous intent, promising pain. Yet, they all looked at me warily, sizing me up. They could tell that they would have to fight for their meal and I was gonna make them pay for it. The King of Hellhounds was standing a hundred yards away, looking regal and deadly. He seemed smug, like sending his subjects to take care of his dirty work was what he did all the time and the task of dealing with a single demigod was beneath him. That infuriated me and I could feel the anger and fury begin to build inside me.

The monsters in my mind were going crazy; I could feel them jumping around in my mind, yelling out advice on how to beat these demon dogs. They were pushing at the barriers of my mind, begging to take control of my body and unleash their rage on the beasts. Even though we were bonded, I was hesitant in letting them take over my body. I was scarred to do that; whenever I allowed that to happen, it unleashed a darker persona inside me. One full of vicious and malicious glee, wanting to burn destroy and raze all that stood before me.

Before I could decide on an action, one beefy looking hellhound got tired of waiting and launched itself at me, maw wide open. Moving with swift action, I plunged my sword directly into his open mouth, puncturing the roof of his mouth and into his brain. Howling in pain, the hellhound spasmed a few times before it lay still and melting into dust and shadow, where it was promptly absorbed into my body.

That one kill set of the bomb and the rest of the hounds attacked. My mind went on autopilot as I shifted into survival mode and melded with the monsters in my mind, knowing it was the only way I could get out of this alive. Every slice of my sword, every cut I made was a deathblow. I became a merciless, killing machine as I launched killed hound after hound. Howls of pain and agony echoed around the arena as the monsters in the stands cheered for the carnage taking place. Unknown to me, a sadistic smile began to adorn my features, as my eyes began to change shape, becoming reptilian, monster slits. I was covered in monster dust, which went really well with my golden fur. In no time at all I killed nearly half of them, all their essences being absorbed into my body, while the other half was yipping and barking in fear, trying to flee from me.

A cruel laugh escaped my lips as I sliced the head off a hellhound, withdrew my sword and threw it, where it sunk up to the hilt in the forehead of another.

"This isn't a fight! It's a slaughter fest!" I taunted the remaining monsters.

Not wasting any time, I pulled out my spear, coated it in silver fire, and pierced the side of another hellhound that tried to swipe it claws my side. The attack was ineffective as the claws bounced off my fur, and the spearhead was firmly lodged in the hellhound's side. But that didn't kill it, it just wounded it. Grinning maliciously, I sent the silver fire into the hound, illuminating it from within where tongues of fire could be seen traveling inside the veins.

The hellhound didn't even have time to scream as it erupted into fire and collapsed into ash. Another hellhound, that must have been its brother, howled at me in hatred. This beast must have been on steroids or something, because he was a big old boy. Towering over, even Mrs. O'Leary, this dog was bigger than a dumpster truck. It barked at the other hellhounds, where they promptly stepped back. That sent one clear message: _He's mine._

Narrowing my eyes at the monstrous animal in front of me, I dispelled my Nemean Lion fur and instead, focused on the hellhound that was no apart of my spirit. I grew a little bit taller, feeling the shifting and breaking of my bones as they thickened and strengthened. Coarse black fur coated my body, offering slight protection from incoming blows, as my hair on my head, grew long and unruly, till it touched my shoulders. My teeth elongated and sharpened as my nails lengthened to dagger-like points. My muscles broadened slightly, making room for my new physique. My senses heightened as my eyesight sharpened and hearing and smell went through the room. I felt the raw animalistic instincts surge into my mind and instead of fighting them, I embraced them, working with them in harmony.

I was now a half-human, half-hellhound hybrid. More like a humanoid hellhound, without the snout, and extra bulk.

"Maybe you can give me a real fight. I'm gonna call you Mr. Slobbers. You could really use some mouth wash for that black drool on your mouth." I mocked sarcastically, my voice coming out deeper and more animalistic. I smirked, glad to know I haven't loss my ability to piss off most of the known mythological world.

The bigger hellhound snarled at me, obviously loving his new name, before tensing its hind legs and launching its massive body at me. With a speed that beguiled its side, it swiped its tire-sized paw at me, nailing me right in my chest. I flew back a few feet and hit the ground hard, a pounding pain in my chest. It roared in triumph as the audience booed.

I growled low in my throat, angry that this monster actually hit me. Ignoring the throbbing in my chest, I leapt up and rushed the hellhound. Running low to the ground, my arms low and outstretched by my sides, palms up, I ran in a zigzag motion, trying to confuse the beast. Mr. Slobbers shook his head from side to side, trying to keep track of me. Feinting to the left, I delivered a devastating clawed uppercut to his jaw. Drool flew out of his mouth and teeth broke into little pieces, tearing his mouth up, blood flowing from his gums.

With a pained grunt, bloody drool dripping from his mouth, he howled and pounced, trying to bite me in half. At the last second, I shadow traveled away from him, appearing right behind and above him, stabbing my claws deep into his flesh. Just because I couldn't travel outside the Arena doesn't mean I can't inside the arena.

Mr. Slobbers howled in pain, rearing back and trying to buck me off. I just sank my claws deeper into his back, tearing through muscle and gripping bone. With a sickening crack, I snapped his spine in half, tearing out the middle of his vertebrae. He howled in agony, dropping to the ground, paralyzed from the waist down. He whimpered in pain, pitiful cries coming from his mouth.

Jumping off his back, I landed in front of him. He whimpered and tried to scoot away from me. In his eyes were complete fear, terror aimed at me and what I did. I snapped out of my bloodlust, seeing the complete terror from the hellhound in front of me. I felt sick to my stomach as the horror of what I had done hit me full force. I allowed my monstrous instincts take over for a moment and gave in to the bloodlust and malicious dark nature that was under the surface.

Stepping forward, I softly placed a hand on the hellhound, feeling him tremble under me. The fear and pain in his eyes was still present, but he looked slightly comforted by my touch.

"I'm sorry. I should not have done that to you. Close your eyes and I will make it quick. I Promise." I whispered, feeling for the first time in my life, regret for maiming a monster in such a cruel way.

The hellhound stopped trembling, nodded in acceptance, and closed his eyes. I pulled out my Riptide, gripping it in my clawed hands. I raised it over my head and brought it down in a quick, painless swipe, killing the hellhound instantly. A mercy killing. The dust was absorbed into my body as I felt part of his consciousness and spirit merging with my own.

Looking up, I saw the other hellhounds still surrounded me, their numbers reduced to 250 out of the thousand that entered. They all shifted from foot to foot, looking at me in fear, but also respect for what I did for their comrade. I maimed him severely, but instead of killing him brutally like any other demigod would do, I gave him a mercy killing and felt remorse for what a sick thing I did. The look in their eyes was one where they did not want to fight me, but they had no choice because it was their king's command.

I felt rage boil inside me at the callous and dismissing nature the King Hellhound showed his subjects. It reminded me too much of Zeus and the power-hungry Olympians, looking down upon mortals and demigods just because they had more power than them. They may be monsters, but they deserve better than this.

Putting my sword away, I magnified my voice, speaking to the hellhounds. "I do not want to fight you. Your king has sent you to be slaughtered like cattle as he sits by and does nothing but watch you die by my hand. My fight is not with you but with him! Stand aside!" I pointed a clawed hand at the King Hellhound, who was watching me with anger in his eyes of hellfire.

Turning to address him, I raised my voice to him. "You still gonna hide behind your subjects? Or are you gonna face me like a King? Or are you just a big coward?" I taunted, sending a challenging glare at the King.

The massive hellhound trembled in anger at me directly challenging him with no fear in my voice. I hated bullies and that is exactly what he was. Glaring at me hatefully, he howled once again. The hellhounds backed away, leaving a straight shot between me and the King Hellhound.

_You wish for a fight demigod? I shall give you a fight. I shall give you fight that you won't forget. _He said calmly, an under current of malice lacing his tone. He got into a crouched fighting stance, ready to pounce.

He locked his eyes on me, filled with hatred and rage._ I shall make you regret your insults as I tear your throat out and eat your bloody corpse. _

Sending him a glare of my own, I shifted fully to hellhound, feeling the extra muscle piling on and bending forward till I was on all fours. I then delved into my mind, searching for the hundreds of hellhounds I kill and absorbed calling on their power to combine with.

Raw, primal power surged into my body, the essences of those I have slain combining and increasing my form. I felt my body begin to increase in size and mass, muscles expanding, claws sharpening and teeth lengthening until they were three feet long. I kept growing until I was just slightly smaller than the King of all Hellhounds, who was looking at me in shock and, perhaps a slight flicker of fear.

Opening my massive maw, I howled my own earth-shattering howl, crouching into a fighting position. _We shall see. Now come and get some!_

On an unspoken command, we rushed each other across the vast plain of the arena, crashing into each other with an immense boom.

The fight was intense and violent, each of us trying to kill the other with fatal claw swipes and vicious bites. We snapped, snarled, and snapped at the other with rapid speed. Neither one of us were holding back as we two giant titans of monster were battling for survival. I tapped into the monster instincts and the training I received from Mrs. O'Leary letting it guide my actions. I would not give this monster the same mercy I had for the other.

I swiped my claws at my opponent's face, opening up four large gashes that streamed rivers of blood. He howled in pain, swiping his own claws across my chest, cutting deeply into the flesh. I slammed my shoulder into him in response, driving him back a few feet, before he found his footing and pushed back. It was a battle for dominance, each of us pushing at the other, seeing who would be the first one to falter. The first one to blink.

Snarling, he lashed out and clamped his jaws on my shoulder, biting all the way into the bone. Agony exploded in my shoulder as I felt each tooth slide into my skin, tearing at my muscle and lodging in the bone. Black and yellow spots danced in my field of vision and King Hellhound could sense my strength waning.

Feeling victory close at hand, he viciously tore out a chunk of my shoulder and swallowed it. I bellowed in pain as I stumbled away from the black behemoth. I watched in shock as he commanded some of the shadows from all over the large field to come to him and he unleashed them at my form. I cursed in my mind at not making the connection sooner. He was born out of Night and Darkness; of course he would have the ability to manipulate shadows. The shadows slammed into me, giving me a new batch of wounds to my already injured form.

He stood on his hind legs and unleashed a deadly swipe at my body, sending me flying into the wall. I was stunned by the blow and could feel my blood rushing from the horrible wound that was my right shoulder. I was in so much pain as cuts gashes were all over my body from our vicious fight. I was even missing an ear.

King Hellhound slowly walked over to me smug pride and victory dancing in his eyes. He didn't look much better than me as just as many cuts were all over his body that matted his fur with his own blood. His back leg dragged behind him, it being obviously dislocated. His tail was gone and one of his eyes was a bloody mess. Yet he walked over to my damaged form, thinking he had won.

"_You could never have one, puny demigod. Even in that stolen form you are no match for me." _He taunted me. "_Now I shall kill and slowly eat your mutilated corpse. I shall take your hide and present it to all that dare stand against me. I shall…."_

He droned on and on, getting so wrapped up in his victory, that he didn't notice me. Didn't notice that I was slowly dragging my battered form over to a small stream of water that I was lucky enough to land against. I knew it was a long shot, I didn't even know if my powers would work in my monster form, but I had to try. I dipped my paw in and prayed to the only gods I liked that this would work.

I nearly wept in relief as I felt the familiar power rush through my body, the healing power repairing my damaged body. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough. I pretended to be weak, a plan forming in my mind. It was a last ditch effort, but I've done the impossible before.

"_Now you monster demigod freak, any last words?" _King Hellhound taunted, so smug of his victory. Looking up at him, I smiled an evil toothy grin.

"_Yeah, eat this!"_ I yelled as I launched myself at him. He yelped in surprise, his weaken body not being able to support my surprise attack. Not stopping, I unleashed blow after blow on his weakened, cowering form. My claws ripped through his flesh, my teeth tearing at his exposed skin; soon he was a quivering mess of mangled flesh.

"_Please."_ He whimpered._ "Please, no more. I submit, I yield, just please don't kill me. Have mercy". _

I glared at his broken form and felt slight pity for him. But then I remembered him callously sending his subject to do his work for him, sending them to a slaughter and my heart hardened.

I glared at him coldly." _Sorry, I don't have any left to give." _Quick as thought, I reached down, and tore his throat out, blood spraying all over the dirt floor. I watched in satisfaction as his eyes widened in horror as he feebly struggled to breath. Slowly, the life left his eyes as he suffocated in his own blood, his reign of terror coming to an end.

His body then dissolved into shadows, his essences as black as midnight. Usually, the essence split into two, part of it being going into my body and the other disappearing. This time however, his entire essence was absorbed and consumed into my body, melding my mind and soul.

My insides felt like they were set on fire, feeling like boiling magma was rushing through my veins. Unimaginable power flooded my system as it began to adjust to the power of a child of Night herself. All my wounds on my body began to glow black as they slowly and completely healed. I felt like my mind was being torn to shreds but then being built back up. A new door popped into my mind, signaling a new place of power has taken up residence in my soul.

Slowly, I felt thousands upon thousands little glowing black lines stretch out from my mind. I gasped in shock as I realized that these black lines connected me to every single hellhound on the planet. I could feel their position, hear their thoughts, and assess their health. Their minds were connected to my own and I felt at one with my subjects.

I marveled at these connections, these little tethers that connected me to all the hellhounds on the planet. Taking a deep breath, feeling the pain from the power transfer die down, I lifted my head. I looked at my body in shock seeing that I had grown till I was over one hundred feet tall and 150 feet long. Looking around, I saw that they remaining hellhounds in the arena were gazing up at me in awe. Slowly, one by one, they bowed their heads in submission, recognizing me as their king.

Giving a canine grin, I lifted my head and howled, knowing that my howl was heard by every hellhound on the planet, telling them one important thing: A new king has been crowned. My grinned widened when, all around the world, hellhounds responded to my call, filling the world with the cries of the demon dogs, overjoyed their tyrant king had finally fallen.

**Artemis POV**

My hunters and I were running through the woods, running after a large pack of hellhounds. We have been tasked with killing these monsters due to the overwhelming monster increase over the past two weeks. It was like all the monsters rallied, were forming groups, and were attacking during the middle of the night in the darkest places on the planet. The last council meeting went horribly as all the gods couldn't stop bickering, even more than usual. It was like they finally realized their actions on what they did to Percy, but they had no idea what to do.

We broke through a clearing, spotting the hellhounds all arranged in a tight circle, back to back. My hunters quickly spread out around the perimeter; all drawing their bows, ready to send these beasts back to Tartarus. I was about to give the order when something happened that made me pale drastically.

An earth-shattering howl rumbled from far beneath the earth, as if echoing deep from the pits of Tartarus, traveling to the world above. The pack of hellhounds in the middle of the clearing froze in shock, their blood-red eyes dimming slightly, before an unreadable expression crossed their faces. They all lifted their heads back as they unleashed their own howls into the night sky that was quickly followed by thousands and thousands of other howls, that I could tell was from other hellhounds across the world.

My hunters were frozen in shock at what just happened as they watched the demon dogs, who were now wagging their tails in excitement, barked out happily before charging into a shadow and shadow-traveled away to who knows where.

My hunters broke out of their state of shock and looked bewildered by the hellhounds reactions. Usually, hellhounds would fight tooth and nail for survival and would have stayed to fight us, even if it meant their death. But they just left after that howl happened.

My hunters regrouped to my position, about to ask me what they should do before they stopped and starred at me in concern. I was very pale and sweaty, trembling slightly from what I had just seen. I haven't seen something like that for thousands of years. If I was right in my assumption this could spell disaster for the mortal world and for Olympus.

Thalia stepped forward, a quizzical expression on her face. "Milady, what was that? I have never seen anything like that."

I didn't want to tell her and was about to make up an excuse, but she was stubborn, a trait that she and her cousin shared that almost brought a smile to my face.

"You know what that was Artemis. Please, you need to tell us, we need to be prepared should that be a threat." She insisted, not taking no for an answer.

I took a deep breath and looked my girls in the eye. "That, my dear hunters, was the crowning of a new King of all Hellhounds." I said ominously.

**Percy POV**

Standing tall and regal, I faced the crowd of monsters in the stands. They were all going crazy, cheering for my victory. Many of the female monsters threw me favors and seductive looks, but I sneered at them and turned away. I may now feel some sympathy for some of the poor, unfortunate monsters that were turned into what they are, but the majority of them are still evil. Also, I did not like how they were looking at me like I was a fine piece of meat.

"Amazing folks! Never have I seen a fight that spectacular! Shifter has managed to fell The Kings of All Hellhounds! Now it looks like a new king is crowned!" Perses yelled out excitedly. He looked at me, his mismatched eyes boring a hole right through me, but I glared right back. He was not happy that I won, but he just kept on smiling. He had more tricks up his sleeves and I had to be prepared.

"The Child of Night and Darkness has fallen and Perseus Jackson has taken his place! Let's see if his new form will lead help him out in the next round of contenders! Until then, Goodnight Everybody!" He shouted, dismissing the rest of the monsters.

I focused on my human form and shrunk down into my original body, yet I had some slight modifications, I just didn't know it yet. I exited the arena, walking to the gate that I entered the stadium. I turned around and noticed that the 250 hellhounds had not yet left yet and were looking at me expectantly. I turned my gaze on them, making them lower theirs in submission. They recognized me as their king and alpha, something to which I was not entirely comfortable with.

"Please don't bow. I hate it when people do that." I said. The massive dogs lifted their heads timidly and looked at me curiously.

_What do you wish to do with us Milord? _A deep, masculine voice asked fearfully, as if they were expecting to get punished.

"What do you mean?" I asked them. They looked at each other before returning their gaze to me.

_We have attacked you and tried to kill you milord. Aren't you going to torture and kill us? That's what the other king would have done. _They said. I felt anger well up inside me, so glad that I killed that nasty hellhound.

"What is your name?" I asked. The hellhound flinched slightly, but steeled his nerves and stepped forward.

_My name is Alex, Milord. _He said submissively, not looking me in the eyes.

"Look at me Alex." I commanded. He slowly rose his head, eyes meeting my own and he flinched at the intensity and power of my gaze.

"Listen to me and listen well, I do no kill or torture those who have done nothing against me. While you may have attacked me in that fight, I could tell that you lot did not want to do so. You were ordered by a tyrant king to attack me and you had to obey. I am your new king, as much as I don't wish to be, and I will not fault you for following orders of you past one. Let's wipe the slate clean and start off anew." I said, gaining some astonished looks from the hellhounds.

_Thank you milord. I can tell you will be a fair and just king for all of hellhound kind. _Alex said gratefully.

I just sighed and nodded my head in resignation. "Well, let us hope I can do a good job and not become like your last king."

_Then let me be the first to swear my undying loyalty and allegiance to you as the new King of All Hellhounds. I swear to be loyal to you and answer you call whenever you need me. _He said, bowing down in submission. One by one, all the hellhounds swore the same oath of loyalty to me. I could feel their little black lines of energy that connected me to them strengthen. I could tell the oaths were set and nothing could break them unless I was overthrown and a new hellhound toke my place.

After they swore their loyalty to me, I held my head up high, proud and strong. "You have all sworn you loyalty to me. Then as my first decree as the King of Hellhounds, you may no longer kill any innocent mortal. You may all still roam in the world above and you all may still feast on mortal flesh as long as that mortal is a cruel and evil person. Go and spread the word of my new law and should I find any hellhound that has defied me and my rule…" I gave them all a hard glare to which they all recoiled at. "…I shall show them no mercy" I said in a deadly tone. I exerted a bit of my new power and authority over the hellhounds, putting a little force on their bodies to enforce my threat.

They all nodded their heads and ran shadow-traveled towards the exit. I sighed and walked back towards my room. I quickly noticed my walk had changed. I moved with silence and grace, a regal air surrounding my being. Looks like I now know where the last king got the nickname "The Silent Stalker" from.

I met my guards at the entrance, who walked me back to my cell. They eyed me warily, keeping their distance from me so I could walk on my own. Looks like they are intimidated by my ferocity that was showed in the fight. I smirked internally at that.

I walked into my cell, where I was promptly hug-tackled by a worried Bob and Damasen. They began looking me over for wounds as I tried half-heartedly to push them off. I may put on a show of indifference but I was really glad to see that they cared for me.

"Percy that was incredible!" Bob yelled out, beaming with pride. "Glad to see that all that training didn't go to waste."

"Thanks dad." I said, smiling.

I chuckled at his antics, but broke off as they stared intently at me. "What's up? Do I have something on my face?" I felt my face to see if anything was wrong.

Damasen looked a bit nervous. "Uhhhh…you may want to look in the mirror. It seemed absorbing King Hellhound left a few side effects." He said.

I felt anxious as I ran to the mirror and gazed at my reflection. I was startled at how my appearance changed once more. My unruly black hair was now very long, touching my shoulders. It had that untamed, barbarian look to it. My teeth, more specifically my canines, had lengthened and sharpened, reflecting dangerously in the light. They could no longer be passed off as normal, they were simply to big.

But the biggest change was my eyes. They were still the same color, sea green with red flecks and a silver ring around the pupil, but the shape had changed. Gone was the normal, circular pupil. The pupil of my eye was now a thin vertical slit that reminded me of snakes and reptiles. I now had a monsters eye, cold, intimidating, savage. I actually king of liked it; it would make people think twice about attacking me.

"That's interesting." Was all I said. I laughed at the faces dad and Uncle Damasen had on. Looks like I can still baffle immortals with my deep and philosophical comments.

Those were the only changes to my body, that and the new grace that I walked with. I would have to meditate and explore my new powers that I had just absorbed.

"If it's okay with you guys, I'm gonna hit the sack. That fight really took it out of me." I said yawning. They nodded their heads as I climbed into my bunk. Closing my eyes and praying for no nightmares, I fell asleep. Sadly, the Fates would not allow me the pleasure of a mindless sleep.

It's been a while since I had a demigod dream. I had hoped that they would stop since I was cursed but it looks like they didn't get the memo. And as far as demigod dreams went, this one took the cake.

Looking around at my surroundings, I could tell I was still in Tartarus, but this was a part of Tartarus that I had never been to before. The ground beneath me wasn't the usual broken glass, but it was covered in disgusting black muck. The walls were oozing this black goop, covering the ground with it. It was so unbelievably cold. I was only in a dream and I could feel the freezing temperature working it's way into my bones, freezing me from the inside. The darkness here was completely overwhelming, covering up every corner, filling every nook and cranny. The darkness pressed in on me, feeling…almost alive.

My dream self began walking through the darkness. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I reached a cliff leading straight down into a deep chasm. I was shivering from the cold and had a overwhelming sense of dread, seeping into my body.

Peering through the darkness, into the chasm, I saw something that made fear claw at my throat. At the bottom of the chasm, was a colossal cell. The cell was made from all kinds of metals, from Stygian Iron, Celestial Bronze, and Imperial Gold. I could sense a massive power source contained within that cell, holding prisoner whatever was inside of it. While the cell was mostly intact, along the sides I could see small holes that were leaking an inky black substance, oozing out of it bit by bit. It meant one thing and one thing only; whatever was in their was trying to escape and from the looks of it, it won't be long.

From these little holes, I could feel immense power coming from the cage. The power that came from the prison made me feel small and insignificant. It made the powers of the gods feel like that of a firecracker while this was a nuclear bomb.

Suddenly, the cell shuddered as whatever was inside of it smashed into it, shaking the walls to its foundation. A roar of anger came from the cell as the prisoner inside kept smashing against the walls. I wanted to run, but I couldn't. I was frozen in place.

I felt paralyzing fear take hold of me as the consciousness from within the cell turned its attention on me. I could feel the darkness and cold begin to press down on me svn more intently than before. Whatever this was, made Kronos seem like a small playground bully.

**So, the little demigod-monster hybrid has managed to find my cell.** An evil voice filled with dark power washed over me. The only time I have ever felt a voice filled with this much evil was when me and Annabeth faced off against Tartarus and when I faced off with Gaea.

**Do not worry little one, I will not hurt you. No. I just want you to see my prison. **The voice whispered in my mind.

**For millennia I have been imprisoned in this cage, clawing at the walls, desperate for freedom. But soon I will be free and when I am, I will plunge the world into endless and eternal darkness! No one, not you and not the Olympians can face off against my might! **The voice promised. It began to chuckle quietly before it grew in volume until it was booming with laughter, the evil in it making my skin crawl.

_Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP! _I mentally yelled at myself. I gasped awake, clutching at my chest where I felt my heart racing as I tried to gulp down as much air as I could. I was covered in a thin layer of sweat and my bed was soaked in it.

I turned to see I had woke up dad and Damasen, who were looking at me in worry.

"Son, what is it? What's wrong?" He asked, concern shining in his silver eyes.

I shook my head, not wanting to tell them. "It was nothing. It was just…a nightmare." I said. They nodded their heads in acceptance, for they had seen me scream awake from many nightmares of my time with Kronos. They made me promise them to tell me if anything was bothering me before they went back to sleep.

I just lay down in my bed, thinking of my dream. I couldn't go back to sleep after what I just saw. What was that thing? What did it want? And more importantly, what did it want to do with me?

Sighing, I just laid in bed thinking all night long of what that thing was, not even aware that I stayed awake all night and the morning had finally come.

**So there is chapter 10! So we got to see Percy's fight with the King of All Hellhounds and what a battle it was! Of course Percy was gonna win, but I had to make him fight for it.**

**So now he has the King Hellhound form, which means that all hellhounds are now under his rule. His powers as King Hellhound includes:**

**-A giant hellhound form, enhanced strength, speed, agility, and senses. He has complete control and authority over all hellhounds, and he has slight control over shadows. There may be more surprises with that form, but you'll just have to wait and see.**

**We also saw an evil, imprisoned, mystery person, trapped in the deepest and darkest pits of Tartarus. If you all didn't guess already, this figure is the same guy from the last chapter who is going to be the main baddy of the story. Who do you think it is? Extra points for all who guess the right answer.**

**Thank you for all who have viewed my story and have given me suggestions and ideas. I will try to incorporate some of those ideas into my story, but I pretty much have, more or less, a set plot for the story and a list of monsters he is gonna absorb.**

**Please leave a review and tell your friends! Check out my other story if you want! Peace out!**


	11. The Monster Quad Squad

**The Monster Quad Squad**

_**Previously…**_

_**For millennia I have been imprisoned in this cage, but soon I will be free and when I am, I will plunge the world into endless and eternal darkness!**__ The voice promised. It began to chuckle quietly before it grew in volume until it was booming with laughter, the evil in it making my skin crawl._

_Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP! I mentally yelled at myself. I gasped awake, clutching at my chest where I felt my heart racing as I tried to gulp down as much air as I could. I was covered in a thin layer of sweat and my bed was soaked in it._

_I turned to see I had woke up dad and Damasen, who were looking at me in worry._

"_Son what is it? What's wrong?" He asked, concern shining in his silver eyes._

_I shook my head, not wanting to tell them. "It was nothing. It was just…a nightmare." I said. They nodded their heads in acceptance, for they had seen me scream awake from many nightmares of my time with Kronos. They made me promise them to tell me if anything was bothering me before they went back to sleep._

_I just lay down in my bed, thinking of my dream. I couldn't go back to sleep after what I just saw. What was that thing? What did it want? And more importantly, what did it want to do with me? _

_Sighing, I just laid in bed thinking all night long of what that thing was, not even aware that I stayed awake all night and the morning had finally come around._

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

I was in the training area, practicing on my powers and fighting skills. I needed to be in top condition for tomorrow's fight because I knew that Perses has something crazy planned for me. He is probably one of the only immortals that I fear. He personifies destruction, making him even more random and untamable than I am and I am of the sea! He visits me sometimes in my cell and I never know which Perses I will get; he could be the crazy, homicidal titan that wants to gut me and use me as his champion of destruction, or I get the almost _normal_ Perses, who acts like he's my cousin and we are the best of friends. It really freaks me out.

I snapped out of my thoughts and got back to training. Twirling my spear, which I named Moon Fire due to the silver flames, I rushed forward and delivered a punishing thrust into the stomach of my dummy, disemboweling it. My spear goes all the way through the dummy, slicing it in half due to my boost in strength and speed. I wasted no time in engaging my other targets, spinning my spear in a circular motion, slicing through five dummies in one slice. Jumping up and away, I performed a few evasive maneuvers, simulating a real fight, performed a flying somersault and drove my spear through the top of the last dummies head, spearing all the way down its straw body.

I was breathing heavy and sweating from the strenuous training, my arms and muscles feeling incredibly sore. Unknown to me, I had an audience and they made themselves known by clapping.

I whipped my head to the left and saw my adopted father smiling at me, pride in his solid silver eyes.

"Well done Percy! Your skills over the spear have grown exponentially, surpassing and exceeding all my expectations." He said proudly, making me smile.

"Thanks dad. Though I do have to say, I think I'm gonna need some stronger stuff to practice with. These flimsy dummies keep bursting apart with my thrusts." I replied back.

It was true; I found out that whenever I absorb a monster, some of their power and abilities are present in my human form. I didn't notice until after my fight with King Hellhound. Now my strength and speed have increased to superhuman levels. They were nowhere near as strong when I shifted into my monster forms, but I guess that was to be expected.

'So dad, do you have any idea on who my opponents are going to be? Hopefully not as hard as King Hellhound cause that dude was a dozy!" I said.

He only shook his head in disappointment. "Sorry Percy. I have tried to gain information from Perses, but all he would reveal was that they are called The Monster Quad Squad, so it can be any ancient monster throughout all of mythology." He said in frustration.

My eyes widened at the revelation. "Are you serious? I have to go up against four deadly opponents at once? That's not fair!" I cried out.

"Perses isn't into fair, only winning. And besides, you did pretty fine against all those hellhounds." He said.

"Yeah, but hellhounds, while they are some strong monsters, most are mindless beasts of base instincts, so they have no battle plan. Only a rare few have intelligence, which is why fighting King Hellhound and a few of his minions was hard enough. Now I have to go against some incredibly strong monsters, who are able to think for themselves, and most likely hate my guts." I said indignantly.

He frowned at my tone. "So you're gonna give up?" He asked in a hard tone. I flinched at his tone. No matter if he was a prisoner here, he was still a titan and could be very powerful when they are angry and upset.

I just sighed. "No, it's just I am sick and tired of being down here. I know I have to fight to get us out of here, but I feel cooped up, ready to explode at any moment." I said resignly, looking down.

"The sea does not like to be restrained." Bob said wisely. I just nodded my head. He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I know this is hard for you Percy, but don't give up hope. What would Hestia think of you losing hope like this? What about Hades? Better yet, what would ARTEMIS think?" Bob pressed me.

I snapped out of my depressed thoughts. "They wouldn't want me to lose hope. They would want me to claw and fight and do whatever it took to get out of here, and damn all who gets in my way." I said, feeling fierce determination to do just that.

I gave him a hug. "Thanks dad. I needed that little reality check." Bob pulled away, a warm smile on his face.

"You want a spar? I can always use the practice." He said challengingly.

I smirked at him and pulled out my spear. "Why not? Ready to get your _podex _kicked by your son?"

He chuckled and pulled out his own spear. "That'll be the day. I still got a few thousand years on you my boy."

We laughed as we ran at each other and engaged in a lively spar, the depressing thoughts already leaving my mind.

**LINE BREAK**

I was feeling better after that spar with dad. A good duel was just what I needed to get my mind focused and clear on what had to be done. Bob left the training area to go back to the cell to rest up, leaving me alone to clean up, which I really didn't mind.

I was putting the final dummies back in place when I felt a familiar tingle on the back of my neck. It screamed _danger! Danger! Watch out! _

I whipped around, drawing Riptide for defense. Walking into the arena, were a dozen of the biggest, nastiest looking earthborn I had ever seen. They were about seven feet tall, each made of clay and earth. They had six arms each, every one of them rippling with muscles. All of them had some seriously ugly faces too, and they were looking at me in hatred.

"Evening gentleman. Can I help you with something, or perhaps a nice shower to remove all that grime from your body? Oops, my bad, that IS your body." I said smirking.

A rumbling came from their throats. I guess that is their version of a growl. "You…defeat our mother…Gaea…You…Put her…back to…sleep." They said in their guttural speech.

"Oh yah? I sent your mommy back to sleep. Well, hate to break it to you, but she was a serious bitch bent on destroying the entire world. So I'm really glad I put her back to sleep." I snapped at them, grinning maliciously at their anger. They began shifting, their anger making them shake in rage.

"You…will pay…for HURTING HER!" They bellowed out, causing sharp rocks to erupt out of their palms, making crude knives.

I just smiled cruelly, pointing my sword at them. "You better be sure you want to do this."

They yelled and charged at me, brandishing their earthen daggers in all six of their hands. "So be it." I said, in a deep, sinister voice. 

I called upon my strength from the giants, feeling my body and muscles grow in strength until I was half-giant. I now stood about a foot taller than the Earthborn, but they were either to caught up in their vengeance or too stupid to see that.

The first Earthborn lunged at me, trying to stab me, but I was too fast. Ducking under the pitiful swipe, I unleashed a devastating punch to his stomach, my fist going straight through him. He cried in pain before he broke apart and dissolved into mud. I swipped the dagger from the ground and threw it at another earthborn, hitting him in the face, punching right through his skull, as I spun and plunged my blade into another monster's stomach.

I began to laugh cruelly, my slitted eyes dancing with murderous glee. I didn't care about being overly cruel to these monstrosities. They were the direct spawn of Gaea and I hate her with everything in my being. SO destroying her children was a perk that I wasn't going to waste.

I ducked and dodged the pitiful swipes, the Earthborn were trying to land on me, while I was slicing them all over their bodies, but not giving a killing blow. I was playing with them and I relished the feeling.

"You know, right before you're mommy went back to sleep, she begged for mercy. Oh it was so pitiful to here." I taunted. That made them even angrier as they began to attack me furiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit a sore spot? How mean of me." I said, driving my blade into another's chest, killing it instantly.

The rest of the Earthborn backed away from me and I thought they finally had some sense that they couldn't beat me. But they actually had some brains after all after growing more dirt daggers from their palms and they began throwing them at me. I ducked and dodged around the stone projectiles, but I felt one pierce my shoulder.

I hissed in pain as I ripped the dagger out, my eyes blazing with anger. "Alright, enough games. Time to let loose." I growled. I raised my hands over my head and slammed them into the floor, sending my earth-shaker powers into the earth.

The ground shook violently as a wave of earth rammed right into the unsuspecting earthborn, sending them flying. I was on them in a flash, slashing and stabbing with killing intent until all but one remained. I manipulated the earth until earthen bonds wrapped around the monster. I had practiced with my adopted father's blessing that I could bend the earth to my command. Couple that with my natural, earth-shaker powers and you got a badass earth bender.

The Earthborn was struggling to release itself, but stopped when I plunged my sword into it's stomach, making it wail in pain.

I looked over it, thinking of the best way to dispose of this trash. I suddenly got a brilliant idea and gave the already scared creature and evil grin.

"Say, do you know what happens when vibrate stone to a certain frequency?" I said, sending a pulse of power into the monster, making it vibrate slightly. It shook it's head in pain as I increased the vibrations.

"When the rock gets hit with vibrations, the molecules start to break apart until the bonds holding them together snap. You know what that means?" I asked as the vibrations got even faster. Pain was obvious on the creatures face and it yelled in pain.

'"It means, that the stone turns into sand and for you, it will be a very painful process." I said, sending a lot of power into the creature's body. It wailed in pain as its body was slowly disintegrating and turning into sand. Parts of his body were beginning to fall off until all that remained was a pile of sand where the Earthborn once laid.

All twelve piles of clay suddenly oozed their way over to me as they coated my body and was absorbed. I felt my skin and organs harden until they were as strong as rock and just as dense. I didn't grow at all because I was already tall, but I felt a new rush of strength enter my body. I then felt a tingle and then a sharp pain in my abdomen. I clutched at my sides until two pairs of arms burst out of my skin, giving me six arms in all.

I looked over my new form, feeling a connection to the earth I had never felt before. It was like I was one with the earth and the earth was me. I looked at my hand and pictured a stone dagger in my hand. Stone began to push out of my skin until I was holding a dagger the length of my forearm. With inhuman speed, I turned around and threw it with dead accuracy as it hit a dummy in the forehead.

I smiled down at my new form, flexing my new limbs. This was gonna be fun.

**LINE BREAK**

I was preparing myself for my battle today, going over my weapons and powers again and again to make sure that everything was in order. Call it a nervous habit, but ADHD does that to you. I couldn't stop thinking about what I did yesterday and how I killed those Earthborn. I used cruel and efficient ways to kill and torture them. And what was worse was that I didn't have the monsters in my head egging me on; I was in complete control and I let my darker persona out. It scared me as I replayed over and over how I tortured that last Earthborn; the same way that Kronos tortured me.

I pushed those thoughts away violently, locking them away for latter use. This was the most important battle I had yet and I couldn't afford to let my emotions get in the way.

So I waited in the entranceway, looking out over the crowd of monsters, waiting to see me. Apparently, after my first two fights, I had become an icon and a favorite among the monsters. Female monsters would call out to me and yell what they wanted to do to me. Walking the halls, I would always get stopped by a woman monster that wanted me to 'take' her. To say I ran like hell would be an understatement.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Welcome once more to another fantastic fight in the Arena of the Pit!" Perses called out to the cheering crowd. "Our competitor today has taken the Arena by storm, besting the Nemean Lion as a Laestrygonian Giant and assumed the crown as King of All Hellhounds! You know him, you love him, her is Percy Jackson Monster Shifter!" Perses bellowed into his mike.

The crowd went wild as I stepped out into the Arena, the light reflecting my newest features; especially my slitted eyes that made the ladies swoon. I paid them no attention as I kept my eyes focused on Perses's demented ones.

He just gave me a cruel look, with a grin to match. "And the challenger, we have four of the most iconic monsters in all of Greek Mythology! Some of the best Heroes of old have fought them and won. Ladies and Gentlemonsters, may I present to you, The MONSTER QUAD SQUAD!"

Four gates opened and out stepped my opponents. My eyes nearly popped out of my head as I saw who came out of the pens because I had faced all but one of these monsters before.

Out of one gate came a fire-breathing monster with the body of a lion,, with a blood-soaked mane, with a goat's head growing out of it's back and a ten diamond-back rattlesnake as a tale. My leg started to throb as I remembered the pain of the poison that coursed through my veins when I was twelve. Before me stood the Chimera, who was glaring at me with intelligent, hate-filled eyes.

Off to the right was a giant of a monster that was over fifteen feet tall. It had a massive dragon body with a large taloned legs and a strong tail. Erupting from its torso and neck was a mass of writhing snakeheads, each one spiting fire and acid, its sharp teeth gleaming in the torchlight. This was the Lenaearn Hydra, the biggest and strongest of all the Hydras.

Next to the Hydra was a man that I recognized from Westover Academy. The monster had the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion with a ball filled with sharp poison spines and the face of a man. It was good friend Dr. Thorn, glaring at me furiously with his mix-matched blue and brown eyes.

And last and most certainly most hated was an old buddy of mine. He was the second monster I killed and I felt anger well up in me when I remembered him nearly killing my mom and killing my friend Michael Yew at the Battle of Manhattan. My good friend the Minotaur was glaring at me murderously, brandishing his giant omega ax at me. Beer for brains must have been working out because he looked even bigger, beefier, and nastier since the last time I saw him. His horns were longer and sharper, looking like spear tips.

This was gonna be one hell of a battle. I looked up to se Perses giving me a cold smile and knowing look. I had a hard beating these guys alone; now I got to beat all four of them at the same time?! This was going to suck!

"Son of Poseidon! You and that old drunkard of a wine god has humiliated and killed me! For that I will make you pay!" Dr. Thorn yelled in his French accent, scorpion tail waving madly.

The Hydra and Chimera snarled at me, spitting flames and acid. But what shocked me the most was when the Minotaur pointed his ax at me and SPOKE!

"Son of Poseidon, You have killed me twice now. You shall not kill me a third time. I will chop your body into pieces and pull you head from your body and see how you like it!" He bellowed at me.

As one, they charged at me, all with the intent to kill me in very painful fashions. Quickly summoning up my hybrid-hellhound form, feeling the fur, claws and teeth grow from my body, along with the extra muscle, I used the hound's superior speed to dodge their attacks.

Dr. Thorn was shooting poisonous spines at me from a distance, which I was able to dodge with a mixture of incredible agility and shadow traveling.

He yelled out in fury. "Hold still you little brat!" He yelled releasing g a volley of spines at me, one of them actually hitting me in the thigh. I grunted in pain, feeling the spine sink into my flesh and deliver its painful poison.

Growling, I ripped the spine out of my leg and rushed towards Thorn. I pulled of Moon Fire, jumping and slashing at the Hydra and Chimera, who spit acid and fire at me. The fire did hit me, but thanks to my dad's blessing, it didn't hurt me. Running till I was a blur, Thorn's cocky attitude quickly was replaced b y fear as I reappeared behind him and stabbed him through the back.

He howled in pain and shot of all of his spines at once, hoping to hit me in his desperate attack. Luckily, he tried that trick before and I fell into a shadow to void the poison projectiles. The same cannot be said for Thorn's allies. The Hydra and Chimera got shot full of the Poison spines, making them roar in pain. I knew how much those poison hurt because I was feeling it right now. It gave me time to encounter Thorn one-on-one.

Leaping out of the shadow, I was like death from above as I drove my spear straight through Thorn's Spine. He yelled in pain as his back half collapsed, obviously paralyzed. I was in a state of bloodlust and I wanted him to suffer. The monsters in my mind were calling for his blood and I intended to give it to them

"No please Mercy!" Thorn shouted in fear, only to be cut off as I pressed the button on my spear, having the trident blades shoot out of the sides while still buried in his back. The blades cut through his flesh as I smiled cruelly at his screams of pain.

"Does that hurt Dr. Thorn? Well let me tell you a secret." I said as I leaned close to his ears. "**That was nothing compared to the pain I went through at the hands of you master.**" I whispered in a sinister voice.

Growling in rage, I leaped behind the immobilized monster and grabbed onto his tail. With a mighty yank I ripped his tail from his very body, pulling out his lower spine. He whimpered in pain, but I felt no sympathy for him. I was a cold merciless monster and he must suffer for the crimes he committed and the friends of mine he has killed.

I tossed his tail right in his face, making him retch in horror at the severed appendage. "Looks, like you had a bit of an accident Thorn. Let me…Help you." I said, retrieving my trident.

With a single, deadly thrust, I stabbed my trident directly into his eyes, piercing his brain. A look of pure horror was etched on his features before he burst into dust and was absorbed into my body.

I was so caught up in my battle with Thorn, I forgot about my other opponents. The Minotaur took this moment to ram me in the side, sending my body flying like a rag doll. If it wasn't for my enhanced monster body, I would have died. But it did come as a shock to me when my hybrid form was forcibly dispelled from me. I landed in a heap and struggled to my feet. I tried summoning my hellhound form, but found I couldn't. I looked into my mind to see that my hellhound form had taken serious damage and needed to head. Seeing as I wouldn't be able to use him them anymore in the fight I called upon a new power: The Six arms of the Earthborn.

The extra limbs erupted from my body as my own arms were coated in earth. My opponents were shocked for a moment and I used that to my advantaged. Growing stone daggers from my palms, I launched them at my foes, four of them striking the hydra in the throat and two hitting the Chimera. They roared in pain trying to paw the stone out of their bodies.

Remembering the Myth of how Bellerphon killed it by forcing a lead ball into its throat I rushed forward. The Chimera recovered and shot a white-hot blast of flames at me, but I just ran through them, much to its surprise. I would have to be quick if my plan was going to work.

Jumping behind it, I had to take out one of its biggest weapons: The tail. The Snake tail tried to whip around and sink its fang into my leg, but reacting with quick reflexes, I grabbed the throat of the Snake. The Snake tried to struggle, but I held it with four of my arms while I took my sword, Riptide, and sliced the tail off.

The Chimera roared in pain and I used that moment to jump in front of the monsters.

"Open wide!" I yelled, pulling out four celestial bronze balls and shoving them down the monsters throat, just as it released a massive blast of fire.

My stone arms were blasted apart as I screamed in pain, being blasted back as I landed on the ground.. The broken arms turned to clay and returned to my body, in desperate need of healing. I looked over to see that the fire blast had melted the Bronze Cannonballs and was suffocating the Chimera. Said monster was clawing at its throat, eyes bugging out of its head. It couldn't even roar with the melted metal in its mouth.

"Maybe you shouldn't chew with your mouth full. Metal is hazardous to your health!

With a final spasm and twitch, the monster burst into dust and was absorbed into my body.

I just shrugged. "Tried to warn him. Now whose gonna tell his mother that her little sonny, is dead?" I asked nobody in particular. _Two down, two to go._ I thought as I winced in pain.

My body was taking a lot of damage and I was in serious pan. The poison from Thorn's spines was running its course in my system, slowing my reflexes and speed. But I had to preserve and push the pain aside. I had a duel to win.

My next target was the Hydra, who rushed me and slammed its heads into my body. I felt like I got hit by train as pain exploded in my chest. Despite the pain, I managed to grab onto one of the heads and cling on for dear life. The Hydra tried to dislodge me by flinging its head about, but I summoned up the Claws of the Nemean Lion and dug them into its skin.

"Whew! Man your breath stinks! Ever heard of breath mints!" I yelled out sarcastically. That cause the crowd to crack up.

Pushing off I landed on the Hydra's back and pulled out my sword. Dispelling the claws, I called upon one of my newest powers in order to defeat this monster. Swinging my sword I chopped off the closet head to me.

The audience was laughing at me, thinking that I was stupid enough to cut off a hydra head. They were shocked into silence as I took a deep breath and shot out a burst of white-hot flames from my mouth. The flames burned and cauterized the wound, keeping the heads from regrowing.

The Hydra yelled in pain, but I ignored it and focused on my task. Cut, slash, and burn. Cut, slash, and burn. I kept the process up until I was down to the last head. With a final roar of flames, I burned the Hydra as it screamed in pain as the flames turned its body to ash.

I was so tired after using so much power and didn't think I could use any more forms. I was exhausted. In my daze I didn't see the Minotaur sneak up behind me and strike me with a meaty fist. I flew through the air like a rag doll and this time, I landed hard.

I felt some ribs crack from my crash landing and my body explodes in pain. I felt a foot press on my upper left chest, my left arm spread out.

I looked up though the daze to see the Minotaur looking at me in triumph. **"For the humiliation of stealing my horn, I shall now steal something of yours!"** He bellowed in insane glee.

With that he brought down his ax. I didn't know what happened, but in the next few seconds, I felt a deep, agonizing pain explode in my wrist and a numbness in my hand. Looking to my left, I stared in horror at the sight before me.

Laying to my left was my severed left hand.

The Minotaur was laughing evilly as I gaped at my severed appendage. I tried to reach for it, but the monster was too fast as he brought his ax down again and again on the hand, reducing it to a pile of sliced meat and bone.

Seeing that, I felt something snap in my mind. All the monsters in my mind gave one massive roar as they screamed in primal fury as I threw the Minotaur off my body. My eyes gained a dark light as I felt my body began to expand. I felt all the hellhounds in my body burst free as they all combined and gave me an ultra form of the King Hellhound. I watched in fascination as a paw grew from the stump of my hand. But what surprised me was that the form was definitely a hellhound form, but it had golden Nemean Lion fur. I had finally managed to combine two forms into one due to my unbridled savagery, forming the Nemean Hellhound.

I glared at the now small form of the Minotaur who was looking gat me in fear. I raised a paw and smashed in down on him, breaking many bones in his body.

"_**You thought you could take something from me that wasn't yours to take. For this insult, I will kill you slowly, painfully and take you entire essence. Never again shall you reform to terrorize the world above." **_I snarled in a deep, evil, animalistic voice.

I started my sliced his skin to ribbons until his entire body looked like mincemeat. Then I slowly broke every bone in his body as he cried out in pain again and again. It was music to my ears. Then I ripped of chuck of his body and threw them into the crowd, where my fellow hellhounds began to eat them. Taking my claws, I sliced the horns of his head. Karma is a bitch! Looking down at the once terrifying monster, he was now reduced to a pile of flesh, meat, and bones.

With a final growl, I lunged forward and tore his head from his body, giving him a painful death. He burst into golden dust as his entire essence was absorbed into my soul, his powers and body now mine.

Completely spent and pushed to the max of my abilities, I slowly changing back to my original form. I looked at my left arm in despair as I saw that my hand didn't grow back. Looks like the essences in my body could regenerate, but the scars and wounds on my original body could not be healed in the same way. I looked down at my spoils of war: The Minotaur's horns and his Omega Ax.

Reaching down, I grabbed the Ax with my right hand and hefted it up into the air. The crowd went wild and many were screaming at the top of their lungs. I had won and this Ax was now mine. I felt the connection between me and the Ax form and it shrank down to a more manageable size.

I placed the Ax by my side, took to steps forward and promptly fell to the ground where I just laid there.

I saw Damasen and Bob rush through the crowd of monsters and jump into the Arena, dropping to my side. Damasen immediately began to heal my body and try to stop the bleeding coming from my stump. I was in a daze I looked into their concerned faces.

Utterly exhausted, mentally and physically, I gave them a weak smile to show I was okay, before I fell into unconsciousness.

**So there is chapter 11. Percy got five new forms in this Chapter and had an epic fight! **

**The forms he absorbed are: The Earthborn, Original Hydra, Minotaur, Chimera, and Manticore, some of the most well known monsters in all of Mythology.**

**Percy managed to combine to of his forms in his rage creating a whole new monster: The Nemean Hellhound. Is this a one-time thing or has he learned the secret to combing all his forms into a hybrid? We shall see.**

**So yeah, The Minotaur cut of his hand and it cannot be reattached or healed. The essences in Percy's body can heal over time if they take significant damage, but any wound sustained to Percy's human form, will stay, like all his scars from Kronos.**

**So what did you guys think? Hope this chapter was good for all of you!**

**If you liked it, please leave a review and thank you for all the views and reviews from you guys, It makes writing this story worth it!**


	12. Threats Revealed

**Threat Revealed and Battles of the Mind**

_**Previously…**_

_Completely spent and pushed to the max of my abilities, I slowly changing back to my original form. I looked at my left arm in despair as I saw that my hand didn't grow back. Looks like the essences in my body could regenerate, but the scars and wounds on my original body could not be healed in the same way. I looked down at my spoils of war: The Minotaur's horns and his Omega Ax._

_Reaching down, I grabbed the Ax with my right hand and hefted it up into the air. The crowd went wild and many were screaming at the top of their lungs. I had won and this Ax was now mine. I felt the connection between me and the Ax form and it shrank down to a more manageable size._

_I placed the Ax by my side, took to steps forward and promptly fell to the ground where I just laid there._

_I saw Damasen and Bob rush through the crowd of monsters and jump into the Arena, dropping to my side. Damasen immediately began to heal my body and try to stop the bleeding coming from my stump. I was in a daze I looked into their concerned faces. _

_Utterly exhausted, mentally and physically, I gave them a weak smile to show I was okay, before I fell into unconsciousness._

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

After the fight with the Monster Quad Squad, I found myself in a very familiar place: The room within my mind where I first met Rip. I sighed and placed my hands on the back of my head. Or, one hand and a stump where my left one used to be..

I looked down at where my left hand used to be; even in my subconscious, my mind sensed the loss of my appendage. A barrage of emotions suddenly hit me: Anger, sadness, bitterness, and above all, a deep boiling rage flowing through my veins. I have suffered a lot in Tartarus. I've been in tortured, ridiculed, cursed, and beaten to within an inch of my life for years, but I was always mostly intact. Even the Monster Curse couldn't bring me down. Sure my personality may be darker and my fighting more brutal, but I have survived and preserved. But losing my hand was by far the worst.

I felt unbelievable rage at the Olympians. It was their fault I was down here and it was there fault this happened. The Minotaur did this to me, but he would have never had the chance if the paranoid gods had gotten it through their thick skulls that I would never betray them and cursed me with this suffering. I don't care what I have to do, this injustice will not stand and burn all who stand in my way.

Tearing my gaze from my stump, I gazed around the room to see that it had changed. The door leading to my monster forms still had the black, spidery lines coming from it, but they seemed to be integrated and flowing with the rest of the room. Almost as if it was adapting and truly becoming a part of my mind.

"That is true." I spun around to see the grinning faced of Rip. "You have done the impossible and managed to do what no other being could: you have merged with the monster curse." He said, shaking his head in disbelief.

I just scowled. "Fat lot of good it has done for me. Look at what happened to my hand. " I growled, waving my stump around.

Rip looked saddened at my severed appendage. "I am sorry that happened to you Percy. If it makes you feel any better, I know what you are going through." He said.

"How could you possibly know what I'm going through? How could you possibly…" I trailed off as I saw him lift his left arm where his hand was missing.

"Whatever happens to you in the real world, backlashes in here. I may be a physical manifestation of your mind, but that doesn't mean I don't feel. I feel your pain. I feel every cut, every burn, and every injury you feel." He said, unknowingly stroking the stump.

I looked down in shame. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that." I apologized. I felt like such a jerk.

He just chuckled. "It's alright, but it is kind of funny to here you apologize to yourself." He said in amusement.

I blushed. Scratch that, I hate myself. I really really do.

I then looked at Rip curiously. "So is there any reason why I'm here? Usually when I get knocked unconscious, I don't end up in my mind, talking with myself so this must be something important." I said.

Rip rolled his eyes. "You mean besides losing your hand and the subsequent loss of blood that knocked you out?" He said raising an eyebrow.

I blushed and rubbed the back of my head. "Yeah, besides that."

He laughed, but then gained a serious expression. "There is Percy. During your last fight, in your rage, you unlocked a primal piece of your spirit. Rage and savagery has always been a primal emotion for every living thing, letting them be able to survive and giving them the strength and will to live." He explained.

"Does this have something to do with the Lizard Brain Theory?" I blurted out. Stupid ADHD.

Rip opened his mouth to reply, but then shut it looking contemplative. "Actually, sort of." He said.

Shaking his head, he focused his gaze back on me. "Stop making comments. This is serious." He scolded. I just shrugged my shoulders and grinned. Who knew it was this much fun to mess with me. Must be why Thalia and Nico do it all the time.

"Anyways, rage is the key to fully unlocking your monster abilities." He said.

"Whoa, back up. Are you saying that was how I was able to finally merge the hellhound and Nemean Lion forms together?" I asked, excited at the prospect of finally mastering this curse.

He nodded his head. "Exactly. You will only be able to unlock new forms in super stressful situations, like your last battle, but when you do, those forms should be available to you at all times." He said, grinning.

I can't believe. A whole new level to control this curse so it doesn't ruin my life. This may be a curse, but it's almost like a blessing in disguise.

That was when an idea struck me. "Rip, you this curse, how does it work when I get injured as a monster?" I asked.

He looked a little surprised at the question but replied nonetheless. "Well since the forms are just essences, all injures and wounds should be able to heal over time when they return to your body. That's why you couldn't summon your hellhound form during the fight. It was critically damaged and needed to heal."

My brain was processing this new information, a crazy idea forming in my head.

"Rip, which door leads to a map of my body?" He looked confused for a moment pointing a door off to my left.

It's that one. Why? What do you plan on doing?" He asked, but I was already striding over to the door.

"Rip, follow me. I have a crazy idea and I think I may need your help." I said seriously.

He looked uneasy., but followed me anyways. We walked into the room and our jaws literally hit the floor.

On the far side of the wall was a giant map of my body, at least twenty feet tall. But what was amazing about this map was that my body was lit up with bright lines of color, stretching out from all throughout my body. White lines were covering the vast majority of my body, but I saw lines of sea green, silver, red, and gold. Those lines must represent my powers.

Sea green lines seemed to be the most numerous as they ran like highways throughout my system. The seemed the most integrated with my body as the green light was completely wrapped around my muscles, skeleton, nervous system, and every other organ in my body.

I watched in awe as the silver and red lines, most likely the blessings of Bob and Damasen seemed to make new paths and connections in my body. A silver line ran down from my brain to my foot, lighting up quickly. Pulses continued to flow, like a silver river running throughout my body. It was amazing to watch.

Three areas on my body had the biggest concentration of power if the glowing was any indication. Two bright white circles were centered in my mind and my heart. That must be my brain and my spirit activity, thus the reason for such a large concentration of lines. But within my mind, its silhouette against the white light, was a complete black orb of light.

This black ball seemed to pulse and surge with power, sending the black lines throughout my body. That must be the monster curse, taking up residence within my mind and sending power throughout my body. The white and black orbs of light seemed to pulse in rhythm with each other, as one dimmed and the other brightened and vice versa. I watched in fascination as the two melded together, creating a swirl of black and white before stopping; a perfect balance between the light and darkness in my soul.

The black lines from the black energy were almost as integrated in my system as my sea-green lines of power over the sea. The black energy seemed to mix and flow with all the other lines. I reach out and touched a black line by my heart. Immediately, it felt like an electric shock went throughout my system, focusing on my chest region. So I can manipulate these lines to my will…interesting.

"This place is amazing." Rip said, looking at the map in amazement.

But I wasn't paying attention as I focused on the area where my left hand used to be. What was once a bunch of white and black lines of energy, signaling life, it was nothing but a faint red. Since my hand was no longer attached, there was no activity on the map.

"Rip, I have an idea, but I need your help." I said complete and utter seriousness on my face.

"What is it Percy?" He asked.

"Remember when I turned into the Nemean Hellhound and from the stump on my hand, a paw grew out of it?" I said.

"Yeah." He said a little confused.

"Well, through my power of shifting into my monster forms, I was able to regrow my hand. I may not be able to ever have a human hand again, but what if I was able to have a monster's hand?" I questioned, a slow smile crossing my lips.

A look of realization dawned on Rip as he looked at the map and the glowing lines. He turned back to me wide-eyed. "That may be just crazy enough it just might work." He said.

Nodding my head, I held out my right hand. "You with me Partner?"

He reached out and grasped my hand in his. "Let's do it." He said, a look of determination on his face, mirroring my own.

Taking a final glance at each other, we reached up on the map and grasped the black orb of energy. It was like being plugged into a city's main power grid. Electricity and power washed over our bodies, stimulating every nerve and filling it with pain.

We cried out in pain, but did not release our grip on the black sphere. Gritting our teeth, we fought though the pain and slowly pulled the line of energy over to the left arm. Painstakingly, we made progress as we pulled the lines of energy, forcing connection back into the dismembered limb.

We gave a final shout of pain as a black burst of light exploded from the map, throwing us from the map and slamming us into the hard line. As I was slowly losing consciousness, the last thing I saw was the area of my left hand, alight and active with numerous black lines, as if it was being consumed in black fire.

**LINE BREAK**

Being electrocuted by your body's own power and bioelectric energy is not fun, not fun at all. I would have to say it ranks in the top ten stupidest things that I have ever done, but I hope that my plan worked. If not, then I nearly killed myself for nothing.

I gasped awake and groaned, lying back down on the bed. The lingering pain in my limbs and joint from my fight a while ago was still present. I slowly opened my eyes, adjusting to the harsh light of Tartarus that I have grown so used to.

The sound of a chair flying backwards and hitting the ground brought my attention my right, seeing my adopted father and uncle look at me with wide eyes. Not sparing a moment they rushed to my side and checked over me, checking for wounds.

"Percy! It's so good to see you awake my boy! Tell me, how do you feel?" Bob asked in worry.

I smiled, glad to see his care for me. "I feel like I just electrocuted and slammed repeatedly by a bunch of monsters. Other than that, I feel just peachy." I said sarcastically.

Bob breathed a sigh of relief. "If you are joking and being a sarcastic ass, then you're fine." He said, smiling in amusement. I made a cry of indignation, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

I then looked down at my left arm, seeing a piece of cloth wrapped around my hand. Damasen followed my gaze and looked at me sadly.

"I'm sorry nephew, but I was unable to save your hand. I tried everything I could to regrow it, but the Minotaur's Ax was made of a very potent metal called Death's Ore. It's a rare metal that can only be found down here. It's properties makes it so that if you are wounded, the wound is incredibly severe and will scar for the rest of your life. You'll never be able to have your human hand grown again. I'm sorry." He said, looking down ashamed of his failing.

I placed my right hand on his shoulder, looking him dead in the eye. "Damasen you tried everything you could. And it's not your fault this happened. I am thankful that you at least tired to find a way to heal me. It shows that you care." I said sincerely.

He smiled at me, relived and happy I was not angry at him.

"Besides, I think I found a way all on my own." I said. I then unwrapped the gauze and concentrated.

After a minute or two nothing happened. But then a itch began around the stump of the skin. It started out as an itch, and then grew till it was a burn, and then grew into a scalding pain. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to keep concentrating, praying this would work.

Bob and Damasen watched in disbelief as the skin around my stump began to bubble and morph. Small white bones, burst out of the skin, slowly growing and forming. Tendons, arties and muscles made the connections between the bones and the shape of a hand began to take form. Then dark black skin began to grow over the muscles and bones, sharp claws bursting out of my fingertips. Soon, the transformation was complete. Where a stump was originally was a huge anthropomorphized hellhound hand.

My new hand was black in color and bigger than my right hand. The veins and muscles pressed against the black skin, giving it a very strong and monstrous appearance. The nails were dagger sharp and stronger than steel, being able to easily slice and punch through flesh and bone. All in all the new monster hand came out good.

Bob and Damasen were absolutely flabbergasted at what they just witnessed.

"B-but…how?" Damasen stuttered out.

I gave a small smirk; glad to know I could still surprise them. "We have my curse to thank for this." I said brandishing the new appendage.

They gave me a stern look demanding more of an explanation.

"Well, I may or may not have directly connected my monster energies in my curse down my arm and into my hand, giving me the ability to transform my hand into that of any monster I absorb or call upon." I rushed out.

They just starred wide-eyed at me, my explanation rendering them speechless.

"So…what'd I miss while I was out?" I asked cheekily, laughing at the expressions on my family's faces.

**LINE BREAK**

**Third Person POV-Throne Room of Olympus**

Artemis flashed into the throne room of Olympus, already dreading having to come back to this place. Ever since Percy was thrown into Tartarus, she avoided coming here as much as possible. The only reason she would even come up here anymore was to visit her Aunt Hestia, who had to stay up here to tend to the Hearth.

Said goddess was now sitting by the hearth in her eight-year old form, tending to the small flame, looking at the embers sadly. The hearth had never been so low and hope has never been so scarce. Artemis walked over to her Aunt and sat down beside her.

"Hello Aunt Hestia." Artemis said softly. She and Hades were the only Olympians she would talk civilly with anymore.

Hestia turned her flame filled eyes towards Artemis and smiled a warm smile filled with hope and motherly affection.

"Hello dear child. It is good to see you again." Hestia said. Artemis smiled in response.

"The hearth is so low, the gods filled with so little hope. I feel that their greatest mistake has caused such this." Hestia said sadly, turning back to the fire.

Artemis felt sad at her Aunt's plight. But then she felt angry and clenched her fists. It wasn't fair! Why is it that the best people have the worst luck? Percy was the best hero this world has ever seen and Hestia is one of the sweetest and kindest souls this world has to offer. And how do the gods repay them? By sending a hero to hell, and pushing a elder goddess into the background to slowly fade and vanish from her families eyes.

"Our blasted family is the cause of all this! How dare they do that to one of the only decent males and the best hero this world has ever known! And how dare they do that to you! Don't they know what would happen when all hope is extinguished? You'll fade and I don't want that to happen!" She ranted, feeling all the bitter emotions that has built up over the year explode.

As she ranted, Hestia just gave her a sad smile and pulled her in for a hug. "It's all right young one. I know it is not fair, but the Fates allowed this to happen for a reason. But I am sure that things will get better and hope shall return once more."

After that, they began to make small talk as the rest of the gods began to flash in. Hades appeared in a swirl of shadows and went to sit with Artemis and Hestia. Artemis gave her Uncle a warm nod, seeing as he was the only god to stand up for Percy, her respect for him increased over the year. They began to make light conversation, not even looking at the other gods.

Apollo flashed it in a beam of sunlight. Once he was there, he saw Artemis and tried to walk over to her and apologize. Recently, he had begun to feel guilty as well and shame began to burn in his heart. Never before had there been such a rift between the two twins, not even during the Orion incident.

Their relationship has been strained for the past year, even more so than usual. He knew why she angry with him, because he went along with the council and banished the Hero of Olympus. He knew that the son of Poseidon had earned his sister's respect by saving her from the burden of the sky, which was nearly impossible to do. So for him to punish someone who saved his little sister and saved ALL of them just wasn't right in her book.

Sure he was a male and that would make Apollo suspicious of any guy that his sister would have an interest in, but he knew Percy was different and he and the council sent him to Tartarus anyway. It was like, all his insecurities, anger, jealousy, and dark emotions were brought to the front that day and intensified, making him do things he wouldn't normally do.

He tried to go to his sister, but a fierce glare pulled him up short. Hanging his head, he walked to his throne and sat down.

Soon, the gods of Olympus were all sitting on their thrones for their annual Winter Solstice meeting. It has been a year since they threw Percy Jackson into Tartarus (One year there is 100 years in Tartarus) and they were waiting for Poseidon to get there.

'Where is he?" Zeus grumbled, "He should be here by now. Doesn't he know how important these meetings are?"

"You mean these meetings where all we do is bicker and argue the entire time before you get all dramatic and fire you bolt into the middle of the Throne Room? Oh yes, these meetings are _so_ important." Hissed Hades. Ever since his favorite nephew was thrown into Tartarus, relations between his family besides Hestia and Artemis have gotten even tenser.

Before Zeus could snap back, a bright green light appeared in the throne room before Poseidon materialized and took his throne. The sea god looked like he had seen better days. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept in months. He felt guilty about replacing his favorite son with another and even guiltier about the awful things he said to his son. He disowned one of the only people who loved him unconditionally, who brought him such glory and honor, and would never turn his back on him.

When he saw how powerful his son was getting, he let his insecurities rule him and jumped on the bandwagon to remove a potential threat to his throne. Now he wished he could turn back time and take back all he said, but that was impossible. Only his father had that power and he was gone. He didn't know what happened that day, but ever since then, the guilt had begun to eat him alive and he didn't know how much longer he could go on.

"Ah, Barnacle Beard. So nice of you to join us." Athena taunted, trying to bait him into their usual back and forth argument before the meeting went underway.

Poseidon just looked at Athena and then looked back at the ground dejectedly. Athena and most of the council was stunned at his lack of response. Usually a jab at him like that would get the proud god to retaliate, but to see him not even respond to such a jab? Something was definitely wrong.

Zeus cleared his throat to get away from the awkward silence that settled over the throne room.

"So, let the meeting commence. Artemis, any new news on any monster activity after the war with Gaea?" Zeus asked.

Artemis glared at her father, not even wanting to speak to him. In her mind, Percy was one of the only decent males in the world, being loyal, caring, and respectful to women, even when the entirety of camp turned their backs on him. He saved her from under the sky because he knew he wasn't strong enough to beat a Titan, unlike some boys who would be too prideful to ask for help from a female. He didn't even ask for a thank you from her. He was arrogant or boastful in his accomplishments and in her eyes that was what made him different.

"Yes _father, _there has been." She replied coolly, saying 'father' with as much venom as she could. "A few months ago, there has been numerous monster attacks throughout the country. It started off as small and we thought that it was just a few scattered groups of Gaea's army. But instead they have been more and more attacks, as they seem to be getting stronger. Another thing is that they seem to attack and be most active at night." She said. The gods looked at each other nervously, not liking the sound her report.

"However, it seems that some of them are regrouping in places that are darker, colder, and with more shadows than in any other places. My domain over shadows seems to have an overflow of monster activity, but I can't tell why." Hades added in, grudgingly. He just didn't want to talk to them at all.

"Strange, I have had similar stirrings in the darkest trenches of the oceans of monster activity." Poseidon mused in a broken voice, breaking out of his depressive brooding. Everyone, besides Hades and Artemis looked at the sea god in worry.

"Well, if they are hiding in the dark places, they are most likely running away from my supreme hotness." Apollo said jokingly before he found a silver arrow very close to where the sun doesn't shine.

"Shut up Apollo, this isn't time for one of your stupid jokes. Act serious for once in your immortal life!" Artemis hissed at her immature brother while putting away her bow.

Apollo looked wide-eyed at his twin before he looked down in sadly, just wishing he could take back his mistake.

"Also, I hate to bring this up, but remember a few months ago when all the hellhounds howled as one?" Artemis said. The gods nodded their heads slowly.

"That was because a new King of All Hellhounds has been crowned." She said, dropping the bomb. Shouts rang throughout the room, demanding why they weren't told this sooner.

Artemis glared at all of them, causing them to quiet down. "I'm sorry, I tried to tell you months ago, but you all said that it was unimportant. I tired to tell you all, but no, you didn't want to listen. And you have the nerve to be angry at me?" Artemis said sarcastically. They all looked down silently, knowing that it was true.

Hades then looked thoughtful. "But the weird thing is, that as soon as this new King Hellhound was crowned, all attacks on Half-bloods and innocent mortals had stopped completely." He said.

They all whipped their heads to stare at the Lord of the Underworld.

"What are you talking about? How is that possible?" Aphrodite asked. She shifted uncomfortably from all the stunned looks on everyone's faces.

"What? I pay attention sometimes." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"It seems that the Hellhounds are now, solely attacking all evil and vile mortals; mortals that have done some very evil deeds and deserve to die. In fact, and this is gonna sound weird, but hellhounds have been popping up in demigod homes and _escorting_ young, innocent half-bloods to camp." Hades said in disbelief.

All the gods were stunned at this turn of events. What could possibly have happened for the King of All Hellhounds to actually _help _demigods?

"Well, do we know why monsters are attacking and that they seem to be doing so in darkness? And why would a Prime Monster, one born from Night herself, would stop attacking innocent mortals and actually help our children?" Athena asked a bit annoyed. She hated not know something.

Suddenly, the throne roomed dimmed and a glowing green mist was coming from Apollo. Apollo stood up from his throne, eyes glowing green, opened his mouth as more green mist poured from it and spoke in a ancient tripled voice.

**When Olympus betrays its innocent twice over Savior**

**Due to outside influence upon their behavior**

**Eternal Darkness shall consume the Earth**

**Unless prevented by he who bears the Monster Curse**

**Will he forgive and will he fight?**

**Or let Olympus fall to the Darkness' Might?**

When the prophecy ended, Apollo slumped back into his throne and the room broke out into chaos of questions and speculations.

Zeus, getting fed up with all the shouting, pulled out his master bolt and shot it into the center of the throne room.

"Quiet!" He thundered, "Now, let us discuss this new prophecy in a calm order!"

"Well it's quite obvious isn't it?" A calm voice cut through the silence as all the gods turned to the eight-year old hearth goddess on her throne. When she spoke, there was an undertone of anger.

"The first line should be obvious, shouldn't it? '_When Olympus betrays its _innocent_ twice over savior', _what else could be referring to but young Perseus, who you ALL sentenced to damnation because of your damn paranoia!" She exploded in anger.

Everyone was once again shocked. They have never seen the usually calm and peaceful hearth goddess look so angry before.

"But he was a spy for Gaea! He was too powerful and he needed to be stopped before he could overthrow us!" Zeus argued.

Hades let out a humorless laugh. "Really _little brother?_" Hades spat out the words with venom dripping from them. "Why would our nephew look to overthrow us when he has _saved _us not once but _TWICE!_ Did you forget his fatal flaw is loyalty? He could no more betray us than you could stop cheating on your wife!"

Zeus eyes widened before they narrowed in anger. He whipped out his master bolt and got ready to shoot it at Hades before a tendril of fire wrapped around his wrist, forcing him to drop the bolt. He looked wide-eyed at the angered Hearth goddess, now in her twenty-year old form.

"He is right Zeus. You let your paranoia get the better of you and you sentenced an innocent demigod to hell. And all of you went along with him except Hades and Artemis." She glared at her family who all looked at the ground ashamed.

"But what about the line '_Due to outside influence upon their behavior'?_ What does that line mean?" Athena questioned.

"**I believe that would be because of me," **A deep, dark voice echoed throughout the throne room.

The throne room began to darken and become bitter cold. Shadows began to grow and swirl around the room in an ominous fashion. All the Olympians whipped out their weapons, looking around widely for the location of the voice. The voice sounded ancient, incredibly dark and malevolent. It reminded them of Gaea.

In the center of the throne room, shadows began to coalesce into a shape. The black shape began to grow bigger and bigger until it was about 20 feet tall. Arms and legs grew out from the figure. They seemed to be comprised completely of shadows; little wisps were curling around the limbs and circling continually, never stopping. A head grew from the top of the mass. There was no face, just a vague black shape that gave any indication that it was a head.

The head swirled around to look at the cowering Olympians and even though they could not see any eyes, they could feel the cold gaze upon their skin. Opening his arms wide, he let out a booming laugh, filled with dark malice.

"**So this is the mighty Olympian Council? I have to say, I'm not impressed." **The figure said, looking at the cowering gods in amusement.

Recovering from his fear and shock, Zeus pointed his master bolt at the mysterious figure.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

If the gods could see its face, they would have seen an evil smirk upon its face as it lifted its hands and shadows burst from its palms, slamming into Zeus and completely covering him. The council looked on terrified as they heard from the mass of shadows, the terrified screams of their king.

The shadows lifted away, showing a pale and terrified king of the gods. The rest of the Olympians brandished their weapons but were a lot more wary of the figure in front of them. Whatever could cause Zeus to become terrified was something they did not want to provoke.

The being chuckled darkly as it looked at the assembled deities.

"**Is this all Olympus has to offer? I'm sorely disappointed. As to who I am, I sure your little wisdom goddess has figured it out by now. Am I right my dear?"**

Everyone turned to a pale looking Athena who was slightly shaking.

"No…it's not possible. Only Gaea should be able to awaken." Athena muttered to herself.

"Athena, who is it?" Hermes asked his ever-paling sister.

"It's Erebus, Primordial God of Darkness, son of Chaos." a now thoroughly terrified Athena stated.

"**Ding ding ding, we have a winner." **Erebus said in amusement. If it weren't for the sinister undertone, that joke would have been funny.

"But I thought all the Primordials have either faded or were in slumber!" Hera shouted out.

Erebus laughed a very chilling laugh that caused a shiver to run down their spines.

"**How arrogant the gods are these days. Believing themselves to be so powerful and never thinking of far more powerful beings before them. Pathetic." **Erebus sneered, "**While it is true we have been in slumber for quite some time, my sister, Gaea's, awakening has triggered a shockwave throughout the world. That backlash of energy has stirred my brothers and sisters and soon we shall all be fully awake and we shall rule the world one more!**

"Wait, so you're not fully awake or here completely?" Ares asked with a scowl.

"**Aw, the little war god. For once, you are slightly correct. I am not completely awake. This form is just a small manifestation of my power. But I am here as I was here a year ago when you sentenced your little hero to my brother." **He said.

'What do you mean you were here when my son was sentenced to Tartarus?" Poseidon yelled out clutching his trident so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Erebus snapped is head in his direction and they could have sworn he was smiling a smile full of malice.

"**Ah, the Master of the Seas, Poseidon. While you may be their master for now, my brother, Pontus, IS the Seas. And when he awakens, you shall be the first to suffer his wrath." **Erebus said ominously.

Poseidon stood up and pointed his trident at the shadowy figure. "What do you mean that you were here a year ago? What have you done?" Poseidon shouted.

"**Isn't it obvious? I was here, hiding in the shadows, as I subtly stretched my power out to you all. I have to say, watching you send your pride and joy into hell was very dark indeed." **Erebus replied in dark glee, not even intimidated by having the godly weapon pointed at him.

"That was you! You controlled us to send my son to hell!" Poseidon bellowed out. While he was furious, he felt a small flicker of hope. Maybe it wasn't his fault that he sentenced his son to Tartarus. If Erebus controlled them, then he could get him out and beg for his forgiveness.

"**Oh no no, little sea god. I only influenced your darker thoughts, bringing your paranoia and darkest feelings to the surface. As the Primordial of Darkness, I can influence the darkness in all creatures. But you sending your son to hell was all your doing. And I must say, it was fantastic to watch." **The Primordial said, loving the despair he was causing among the gods.

At that, Poseidon collapsed back into his throne, the small hope in his chest that it wasn't his fault was crushed and all the shame and guilt crashed into him like a speeding train. All the gods felt sick to their stomachs. While this dark being influenced them, it was because of their negative and dark emotions that they did their heinous deed. While they have realized their mistake, the damage was already done.

"Then why didn't it work on me, or Hades or Hestia?" Artemis questioned.

"**Well, little moon goddess, my power wasn't completely recovered. I was only at what you could say 5% power, so I wasn't at my top strength. Since Hestia was all about peace and never thought anything bad about young Perseus, no dark thoughts to influence. Hades lives in the shadows, so he was able to resist me in my weakened state, but you…that is still a mystery to me." **Erebus mused, stroking his chin.

He then snapped out of his musing and looked at the gods. "**I do have to say, that it is so much fun watching your little hero suffer all the torture Tartarus has to offer. My grandnephew is doing a fantastic job making his life hell in the Arena." **His comment got the desired action. They all looked at him in horror, feeling as if they were about to throw up. He was in the Arena? The gladiatorial fighting rings where millions of monsters come to watch and participate in the games? The guilt that they felt for sending an innocent hero there was almost too much to bear.

"**Anyway, I am here to see if you would have any chance without your little hero and I am sure you have none. Say your prayers Olympians, for soon, you will all perish!" **Erebus laughed maniacally as he faded away, taking all the darkness with him, leaving behind some very frightened Olympians.

It took a while before the Olympians could speak again. "We have another war coming against the Primordial of Darkness and Shadows himself and potentially his brothers and sisters?" Hermes asked, still shaken.

"We're screwed." Ares said.

Artemis stood up from her throne. "No we are not! Haven't you heard the prophecy? There is a chance that we can win this, but we need to prepare and do a few things first. We need to right a wrong that you all did." Artemis said in a commanding tone.

The Olympians all looked at her, realization and a bit of hope coming into their eyes.

Poseidon looked at his niece, hope shining in his sea green eyes. "You don't mean…?" He said.

She nodded her head, smiling widely. "Yes. We have to free Percy Jackson from Tartarus."

**DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN! And there is chapter 12! For all of you who guessed Erebus as the main baddy, you were right! Points to you!**

**So that chapter was really fun to right. You guys didn't honestly think I would leave Percy handless did you? Now he has a badass monster hand that has the ability to transform into any monster hand that he absorbs. He will never have his human hand again, but I just thought this would be an excellent weapon for him to use and it's just plain awesome.**

**So what did you all think of the new hand? And there will be attachments to it later on.**

**Thank you all for reviewing my story and reading! It means a lot to me. Check out my other story if you like it and I will hopefully update sometime this week!**

**Hans50 Out!**


	13. Discoveries

**Discoveries**

_**Previously…**_

_He then snapped out of his musing and looked at the gods. "__**I do have to say, that it is so much fun watching your little hero suffer all the torture Tartarus has to offer. My grandnephew is doing a fantastic job making his life hell in the Arena." **__His comment got the desired action. They all looked at him in horror, feeling as if they were about to throw up. He was in the Arena? The gladiatorial fighting rings where millions of monsters come to watch and participate in the games? The guilt that they felt for sending an innocent hero there was almost too much to bear._

"_**Anyway, I am here to see if you would have any chance without your little hero and I am sure you have none. Say your prayers Olympians, for soon, you will all perish!" **__Erebus laughed maniacally as he faded away, taking all the darkness with him, leaving behind some very frightened Olympians._

_It took a while before the Olympians could speak again. "We have another war coming against the Primordial of Darkness and Shadows himself and potentially his brothers and sisters?" Hermes asked, still shaken._

"_We're screwed." Ares said._

_Artemis stood up from her throne. "No we are not! Haven't you heard the prophecy? There is a chance that we can win this, but we need to prepare and do a few things first. We need to right a wrong that you all did." Artemis said in a commanding tone._

_The Olympians all looked at her, realization and a bit of hope coming into their eyes._

_Poseidon looked at his niece, hope shining in his sea green eyes. "You don't mean…?" HE said._

_She nodded her head, smiling widely. "Yes. We have to free Percy Jackson from Tartarus."_

_**Now…**_

**Percy POV**

It was year 15. Nailed to the wall, hanging from Stygian Iron chains, all I could do was scream in agony as I felt the white-hot tips of metal spikes being driven through my body. The smell of burning flesh reached my nostrils, making my stomach want to heave. I felt bile rise to my throat, the stomach acid burning my already raw throat as it spilled past my bloody and cracked lips.

I lifted my gaze to meet that of my tormentor. Kronos just looked at me with a look akin to that of boredom on his face, his gold eyes filled with apathy.

He sighed as he drove another spike through my bicep, the tip impaling into the bone, sending fragments into the surrounding tissue.

"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but just stabbing spikes through your body, lighting it on fire, and carving up your chest is starting to become boring. Sure your screams fill my heart with joy, but it has become repetitive, dull, and boring." He said in a dishearted tone. He actually looked sad and bored, which only furthered his madness.

He began pacing in front of me as I willed myself to wake up from this nightmare. It's not real! This happened years ago! You're only dreaming. I was screaming at myself to wake up. I was in one of my nightly nightmares, relieving one of the many memories of my tortures with Kronos. Here I was powerless. I wanted nothing more than to change my form and tear his throat out, but this was just a dream and I would remain trapped and have to re-experience this torture until it was over.

The nightmares were slowly starting to strip away what little sanity I had left. Sure my powers and skills have grown, as had my mental fortitude with all the meditation and training I went through. I had a support system with my new family who would help me through the nightmares, but they were still horrendous. I felt every single slice, every burn, every puncture in my dreams. And this dream was by far the worst of them all.

I trembled in my chains, the freezing metal was so cold it was burning my flesh and rendering my hands useless and numb. I watched as Kronos paced in front of me, a contemplative look upon his face. I knew what was coming next and I screamed, begged, pleaded for anyone to take me from here but I knew it was hopeless.

Kronos suddenly stopped, his eyes glowing with a cold, calculating light as he looked at me with a smile. Not a happy smile, but a smile a snake would have. Cold, reptilian, the look of a predator who had cornered its prey. And that gaze was focused on me.

"Say my dear grandson. What is it you fear the most eh? Sure when you were in the world above and you were loyal to all your little friends and the gods, I bet it was not being able to save them eh? But that must have changed given they sentenced you down here." He said leaning close to my face. I glared at him, worked up a mouthful of bloody saliva and spat it in his face.

It had the desired effect as he recoiled, the spit covering his face. He whipped at his face and his eyes filled with rage, his happy, crazy façade breaking and showing his true feelings towards me. He hated me. Hated me with every fiber of his being. He wanted to kill me, torture me and take away every last shred of hope I had left and when I was just a shell of who I once was, he would end my wretched existence.

He backhanded me across the face, the skin on my cheek splitting open as pain exploded in my face. Blood dripped down my face as the skin began to swell, forcing my eye shut and turning a hideous shade of purple. A light hit compared to everything else I've been through.

"You insolent brat! You dare spit on me? ME?! I am the TITAN KING! My very name causes terror in the hearts of men! I am unstoppable!" He yelled directly in my face, spittle flying from his mouth. His gold eyes blazed in madness.

"Unstoppable eh? That didn't stop me from kicking you immortal ass huh, Krony? And that didn't stop Luke from stabbing his own armpit, foiling your entire plot for world domination. By the way, how is the armpit?" I asked, a mocking smirk on my cracked lips. He hasn't broken me. Not yet.

His eyes flared golden before the light in them dimmed. A malicious smirk formed on his face as he held out a palm and rested it on my head. A golden light emitted from his hand as I felt a sucking pull emit from my skull. My mind felt like it was being drawn from my head, the sucking was like that from a powerful vacuum. I cried out, the throbbing and pounding in my brain not letting up. It felt like he was rooting around in my mind, trying to find something.

Kronos pulled away with wide eyes and suddenly bent over laughing. "Oh this is rich! You are terrified of drowning? A son of Poseidon scared of drowning! Oh that muskeg really did a number on you!" He said, laughter racking his giant frame.

"You know, this gives me an idea." He said, smiling evilly. He waved his hands and suddenly a giant tub appeared in front of me, filled to the brim with mud and water.

My eyes widened in realization as I began to thrash around in my bonds.

Kronos grabbed the back of my head and forcibly thrusted my head into the mud. I struggled to free my head from his grasp, but his head was like a grip of iron. I desperately tried to get my face above the mud. I could feel what little air I had being forced from my lungs, the bubble trailing upwards. I craved air, the suffocating pressure making my lungs feel like they were about to collapse. Unable to stop myself, I took a deep breath, the mud and water flowing down my throat and into my lungs. I hacked and gagged, but the mud continued to flow into my body. It wasn't long before I passed out from the suffocation and lack of air.

I jolted awake in bed, gasping and grabbing at my chest. Flipping over the side, I heaved what little food I had for dinner onto the floor, the smell of vomit quickly filling the room. I continued to dry heave until nothing else came up. I took in great quantities of air, my body coated in sweat, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

I looked down to see my monster hand had unsheathed its claws, the three inch nails skewering into my mattress. In fact, I realized that I was halfway shifted into my hellhound form. My nightmare must have triggered the transformation. Releasing the form, I watched as the hair was sucked back onto my body, my fangs retract, leaving only my regular over-sized teeth, and the extra muscles shrink until my regular muscles replaced them.

It was just a nightmare. It was the one of where Kronos first used The Tank on me. I could breath in water no problem, but in water mixed with mud? I shuddered remembering the slimy earth cutting off my airway as my air was forced out of my body. It was that day that I knew what true suffocation was.

I took a shuddered breath and gazed down at my body. While my curse has helped with recent wounds, scars adorned my body, covering nearly every inch of my skin. It was a reminder that no matter how powerful I had become, I was still vulnerable and the scars are permanent reminders of my tortures.

I laid back down on my bed and pulled my rag of a blanket back to my chest. It would be a long time before I got to sleep again.

**LINE BREAK**

I was in the training arena meditating and reflecting over how my life has changed since I have been down here. Stretching my hand in front of me, I scrutinized the new appendage that I was able to grow through pure concentration of will. The new hand was larger than my other hand by a few inches; the muscles more bulky and the fingers longer, filled with my enhanced strength. The veins were pushed up against the skin, giving it a very vascular look, with the fingers curled slightly. The razor sharp claws shooting out from my fingers glinted like silver metal, looking like it was able to slice through flesh and bone with ease. Coupled with the pitch-black skin that coated my hand and little tendrils curling up my forearm, my new hand was very different from my other, but that was not necessarily a bad thing.

Closing my eyes I called upon the many monstrous forms within my mind, feeling their power flow through my body. Raw power and instinct coursed through my veins, feeling it pulse with every beat of my heart. I channeled that power into my hand and watched the as my hand shifted and morphed. The skin changed from a pitch black to a bright gold, the golden fur coating my skin. My fingers became bulker, the palm of my hand growing feline pads, toughening the skin. The already sharp claws became longer and thicker. Soon enough I had a Nemean Lion hand where the hellhound one used to be.

Suddenly the fur bubbled and flowed together, my hand becoming harder and harder. My hand shrunk until it was back to its normal size, the claws retracting as hardened nail formed. Little cracks appeared as the flesh and bone in my hand fell away as pure rock and stone rose from my skin, coating all the way up to my forearm. I smiled in success as I summoned the hand of the Earthborn.

With lightning reflexes, I whipped around, shooting out four rock daggers from my palm. I watched in satisfaction as they flew through the air with precision and accuracy as they tore through the targets I set up at the end of the hall, landing in the red of the bull's-eye.

I jerked around in surprise as I heard slow clapping from behind me. Pulling out my sword, I spun around and crouched into a fighting stance, ready to take on whoever was behind only to face the amused face of Bob.

"Don't do that dad! You know how much I hate it when you sneak up on me!" I cried out in exasperation, putting my sword away.

Bob chuckled at my whining, causing me to pout. "Why do you think I do it in the first place?" He said, a mischievous smile on his lips.

I mocked glared at him as he laughed, but I couldn't stay hold it as a small smile crossed my lips.

"So what's up? Here for another spar? Just so you know, I got a little more power in my spear thrust now." I said smirking, holding up my left hand, shifting it back to its original monster form.

"I've noticed. And I'm not so sure I want to spar unless it's strictly a spear fight. If you get any weapons, you'll be a walking arsenal." He said.

He was right. I currently had all of my weapons on me, never leaving them off my person. I had my Celestial Bronze sword, Riptide, in pen form. My spear and trident combo, Moon Fire, as a black ring in my finger, the picture of a moon covered in flames adorned the face of the ring.. The little baggie of marbles that turned into Celestial Bronze cannon balls was on my belt around my waist. I had four assorted throwing knives concealed on arms and legs, allowing easy access to said weapons. In my pocket, alongside Riptide, was my two shrunken clubs made of strengthened wood and bronze. And finally, I had the Minotaur's, Death Ore, ax in a smaller form secured on my back. All those weapons coupled with the fact that I could shift into multiple monster forms, all with their own deadly powers and abilities...Yeah, I was a walking arsenal.

"But that's not why I'm here." He said, as a serious expression crossed his face. "I'm here to see how you're doing." Concern lacing his words.

"Oh you know me. Feeling great." I said, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice. Did he know about my nightmares? My dream of talking with Erebus? How I was struggling to sleep and felt like my mind was turning against me and I was suffering from so much anger and hatred at the gods that I was literally making me sick?

He looked at me with a stern expression. "Percy, I know what happened last night." He said, confirming my fears. I opened my mouth to protest, but one look from him had the excuses die on my lips.

I lowered my head in defeat. "How'd you find out?" I asked quietly.

He came over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't hard to figure out. Waking up to the smell of vomit is common enough hear, but couple that with hearing you scream and whimper in your sleep. I may be a Titan Percy, but I'm not blind." He said. His expression softened. "How long?"

I sighed. "I been having nightmares for the longest time. I would dream of Kronos and the tortures he put me through." I said hollowly, gazing at nothing. "Every cut, every burn, every single pain he inflicted on me, I'm forced to feel. For a while, when I first got here and got adopted by you, the nightmares weren't so bad, the training focused me and I escaped into it. But they are back now, ever since…" I trailed off.

"Ever since what?" Bob asked. When I didn't speak, he grabbed me by my shoulders and forced me to look him in the eye. "Percy, I can't tell you if you don't tell me."

I didn't want to tell him, but I trusted him and went with my gut. "Bob, what do you know about a cell in the deepest pits of Tartarus holding some dark being?" I asked.

His eyes widened and he looked panicked for a second. He looked around, as if someone was watching us. "We have to talk to Damasen." He said.

We walked back to our cell quickly, avoiding all the other monsters and occupants in the prison. We burst through the door and closed it quickly. Bob then pushed all the bunks against the door and muttered in Ancient Greek, a pulse of power covering the room. Damasen was just looking at us in confusion, but didn't say anything.

He then turned to me. "Okay, the spell will block any eavesdroppers from hearing what we are discussing. Now tell me. What happened?" He demanded.

I then told them of my dream in detail, leaving nothing out. After I finished my explanation, both of them were very pale and shaking slightly. It freaked me out a little.

"Guys what is it? You two look majorly freaked right now." I said.

They shook themselves out of their stupor, but they still looked a little pale. "Percy, what do you know of Erebus?" Bob asked slowly.

"Umm…from what I learned at camp, isn't he like the Lord of all Darkness or something, brother to Gaea?" I said.

They nodded their heads. "Time for a little history lesson. In the beginning their was the Sea of Chaos and from Chaos, arose the Primordials. Erebus is the Primordial of Darkness and Shadows, one of the very first beings to ever come into creation. He is the son of Chaos himself. He was the first born as before light, their was darkness. But unlike the other Primordials, who like everyone, they had both good and evil in them, Erebus is pure evil. He caused death and destruction, chaos and darkness followed him around like a shroud that covered the earth. He was so evil in fact, that the other Primordials voted to imprison him in order to stop the carnage that he ensued. His goal was to tear down all light and creation, wanting to turn the universe back into the dark void it was before Chaos. They explained.

"Wait a minute, what about Gaea and Tartarus? Those two are evil, yet, they weren't imprisoned." I said confused.

"Percy Gaea and Tartarus weren't always evil. In fact, they were some of the kinder beings in the beginning. Gaea was a loving mother that loved and cherished her children and Tartarus was a fair and just being, holding all the evil creatures inside him to spare the innocent." They chuckled a little at my expression. I was shocked, no, I was stunned speechless. Gaea was a caring mother and Tartarus was good?

"What happened to them?" I asked fearing the answer. By the looks on their faces, it wasn't good.

"The Primordials imprisoned Erebus in a cell made of some of the strongest godly metals on earth, but before he was cast into his prison, he placed darkness in Gaea's heart and his evil spread and consumed my father. With his final act, he cursed out mother with darkness." Damasen said, a tear falling from his eye.

I was silent as I absorbed this information. Gaea and Tartarus weren't inherently evil. It was the act of them doing something right and trying to stop the spread of evil that they were cursed themselves to become evil. And it seemed that evil passed along to their children.

"So it was Erebus that was the push that caused Gaea and Tartarus to fall to darkness." I said quietly in disbelief. Bob and Damasen nodded their heads, both with looks of grief on their faces. To know that your parents were once good, but their own flesh and blood was the reason they turned evil, it must have been very difficult for them.

"Erebus always wanted the Primoridals to rule beside him, but he would merely use their power to push the back into oblivion. He may, by the loosest definition, care for some of them, he would sacrifice them if it meant achieving his goals. So if Erebus is contacting you in your dreams, Percy, that is really not good. And you said that the cell was leaking?" Damasen asked, slight panic in his tone.

"Yeah. The cell was pulsing with black energy and shadows. It was like little cracks were formed around the base, as he was slowly pouring out. And the cracks were only getting wider." I said, shuddering at the memory.

Grave looks crossed their faces. "Then he is going break free. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, he will escape and he will plunge the Universe back into the endless darkness it was since the times of Chaos."

**LINE BREAK**

I was walking through the halls of the Arena, thinking about my talk with Bob. So there was another threat to the world in the form of an even more powerful enemy. What else was knew. Only this time, I wasn't able to help. But then that begged the question: Did I really want to?

I mean, what was there left for me? Almost all my loved ones turned their backs on me, my father blatantly disowned me, and I have been sentenced and living in hell for nearly a century now. But yet, there were those few that I cared for that still cared for me. Hades, Hestia, Bob, Damasen, Nico, Thalia, and…Artemis. Just thinking about them steeled my resolve; I would protect them with my life, no matter what. It was them and them alone that I would fight for. And even if it meant that we had to hide out down here in Tartarus to escape Armageddon then so be it.

During my musing, I didn't notice that I was walking lower and lower into the bowels of the Arena. The walls were getting darker and darker, the stone falling away until it turned into an ancient cavern. I tore myself from my thoughts and took it my surroundings. How did I get down here? But the better question was: WHAT was down here?

I was about to head back when a sudden pulse of pressure hit me like a train. I stumbled and nearly fell under the quick burst of pressure; the monsters in my mind were all silent for once. Whenever that happened it meant that something was about to happen. Whether it was good or bad was to soon to tell.

I stood up and steadied myself. It was then that I heard a whisper in the back of my mind. Usually I wouldn't pay attention to this, seeing as I already had a bunch of voices in my head, but this was different. This voice was ancient, older than the gods and Titans, but yet…oddly familiar. It was a small whisper in the back of my mind, whispering in a language that I couldn't understand, but I had heard it from somewhere before.

But it wasn't just one voice that was whispering in my mind., it was TWO. As I walked along the dark corridor, the whispering got louder and more insistent, till it was filling my head with the chanting. The language was definitely familiar, but then all at once, a clear message broke through.

_Help us. Free us. Please._

I broke off into a sprint at that phrase, blazing down the corridors. Whatever was speaking to me, was a prisoner and was in pain. And the voices sounded so familiar and I couldn't control my curiosity and my need to help those in danger. No matter how much I went through, I was still me and my core personality wouldn't change.

As I ran through the dark corridor, I summoned up the vision of the Cyclops, feeling my eyes changing slightly so I could see the full range of the Electromagnetic spectrum. I blinked and the room lit up as my eyes suddenly registered the Ultraviolet range of the EM Spectrum, the room lighting up with violet and blue hues, all shimmering as if everything was coated in a glowing substance. Even in this situation, I couldn't help but admire this ability. No wonder Cyclopes always had the uncanny ability to find Halfbloods if they had this kind of vision.

After a few minutes of running, I came to the end of the hallway and at the very end of the hallway was a massive, celestial bronze door.

The voices were the loudest here. I pushed against it, but the door didn't even budge. Shifting to that of a Laestrygonian, I applied my strength to the door and pushed with all my might. But the door remained stubborn, not giving an inch. I felt anger well up in me at this door. No matter what I did, this thing wasn't moving.

I summoned all my Giant forms and made the Ultra Laestrygonian form. With a yell, I punch the door as hard as I could, blasting the door off its hinges. I shifted back to normal and walked in and what I saw stunned and horrified me.

The room was nothing more than a cell, kind of big for me, but for the two occupants, it was downright cramped. Pushed against the back wall of the cell, were two figures that I had never seen before, but I had seen their brother. I now know why they sounded familiar and their aura felt like I had experienced before. Sitting in the cell were none other than the brothers of Briares: Cottus and Gyges the Hekatonkheire, or the Hundred-Handed Ones.

They each were very large, their bulky frames taking up most of the cell. Just like their brother, they had one hundred arms sprouting from their chest and torso,, each one seemed to have a mind of its own. Some were playing patty-cake, some playing rock, paper, scissors, and others were arm-wrestling. Only bits and pieces of cloth covered their body, and it looked like they hadn't showered in years. But upon their many arms and chest, they had hundreds of scratches, scars, and wounds, some were fresh and bleeding, while others looked thousands of years old.

They looked exactly like their brother except for their eyes. One had a pair of solid blue eyes while the other had a pair of solid green eyes. I knew that the Hundred-Handed Ones had multitudes of faces that expressed their emotions, but the look upon their face broke my heart and filled me with rage. Upon their face was the expression of complete and utter hopelessness. But when they saw me, their faces morphed into looks of slight hope.

"You have found us, son of Poseidon. At last we can finally be free from this wretched existence." The one with solid green eyes said.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

Hearing my confusion, they tried to smile, but due to all the pain they were experiencing it came out as more of a grimace.

"Talk of you reaches even down here, young one. We have heard of your bravery, your great deeds, and your kind heart. We have heard if your fate and have sensed you from above in the arena. We spent many months saving our energy to send a telepathic message up to you." He said.

You must have a lot of questions, but let us introduce ourselves. My name is Cottus and this is my brother Gyges." The one with the solid blue eyes said.

"How can this be? I thought Briares was the only Hundred-Handed one left?" I exclaimed, completely stunned.

Their faces morphed into one of sadness and shock. "No, he is not. But our brother lives? Is he alright?" They asked desperately, struggling to stand only to fall.

"Whoa whoa! Easy there." I said as I rushed forward to catch them. I gently eased them back into sitting positions and pulled some water from the wall and began to heal their wounds. "You're brother is fine. In fact, he is living in _Poseidon's_ realm right now, teaching my brother and fellow Cyclopes long lost forging secrets. He is happy and improving the world, but he misses you dearly. He believes you have faded." I said.

Their faces shifted between multiple emotions to one of grief as they began to weep for their brother that he believes them dead, but then to happiness to know he is alive and well.

"Umm…I hate to ask, but what are you doing down here and how are you alive?" I asked.

Gyges focused his solid green eyes on me, his face shifting to one of thoughtfulness. "Millennia ago, we were forced into hiding. The mortals were slowly forgetting us and we were weakening in power. We found a cave to live in to live out our final days before we faded, but a horrible earthquake struck, causing the cave to collapse, separating us from our brother. We didn't know it, but the cave had a direct connection to Tartarus and we were sucked down here into the Pit once more. We thought we would fade right there and then, but Perses found us and imprisoned us. He forced us to make him weapons and enchantments long forgotten by the gods and Titans for his Arena. We were tortured every day." Gyges said as tears spilled from his eyes.

He used multiple hands to wipe them away, but they just continued to flow. I reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry that this happened to you. While I may not know your full pain, I can understand. I too have been tortured at the hands of Kronos and was cursed." I said, showing them the black tattoo marks of the Monster Curse.

They starred at me in shock and reached out and grabbed my hand. "So it is true. The curse exists." Cottus said in whispered awe as he studied my hand.

"What? What is it?" I asked them, a little freaked out they were acting this way.

They just starred at me in awe and hope. "It is our salvation." Cottus said cryptically.

"Percy, Great Hero of Olympus, for years we have wanted to escape our fates and have wanted to fade, but we have been too afraid to do so. We fear the Oblivion of the void. There is no stopping us from fading, but perhaps there is a chance we can live on." He said looking at me expectantly.

I was uncomfortable with where this was going. "Percy, we ask you this one favor and we wish for you to grant it." Gyges said.

"Well, whatever it is, if I can do it, I will try to." I said a little unsure.

They exchanged a look with each other and reached a silent agreement. They then turned back to me. "We wish for you to absorb our essence so that we may live through you, to see the world above once more through your eyes and in you mind." They said together.

My eyes widened in shock. "No! I can't do that! I can't allow you to die. You just got free!" I tried to convince them, but they just shook their heads sadly.

"We are fading already. I can feel the icy fingers of death upon us and our time is pass. But if you do this, you will free us and preserve our memory." Cottus tired to convince me, but I shook my head violently.

"But what about Briares? What about your brother?" I asked.

They looked at the ground sadly. "We wish to see his again, but if we even get free and even if we reach the surface, we will be too weak to move. Only you can free us Percy and only though you can we find peace. Through you we can see our brother, for we shall be a part of you." They said.

I was majorly conflicted. On one hand, I didn't want to take their life and powers. They were innocent and didn't deserve this fate. They were once so mighty and powerful and to see them reduced to this state was so heartbreaking to see. But on the other hand, I could finally free them from their pain and have them become a part of me. After much confliction, I made my decision.

"I will absorb your essence." I said, determination in my eyes.

They both had looks of relief on their face. "Thank you Percy. Thank you."

I nodded my head as I approached them pulling out my sword Riptide and my spear, Moon Fire. There hands and arms moved out of the way as they made a path directly to their chest. I placed both weapons upon their skin, right over where their heart was.

I looked them in the eyes, asking for permission, to which they nodded their heads in unison. With a deep breath, I thrusted both of my weapons into their chests, piercing the metal directly into their hearts. Their heads flew back as their mouths opened in silent screams, before their expression morphed into a look of complete and utter peace.

"Thank you Percy Jackson. Thank you." They whispered as they closed their eyes one last time.

Instead of their bodies crumpling to dust, what happened next was nothing short of amazing. Directly where their hearts, a faint golden light began to pour from the opening. The golden glow, slowly at first then picking up speed, began to spread through their veins, lighting their bodies from within. Soon the light encompassed their entire being as they were turned into pure light. After their bodies were broken down into light and energy, that light began to pour into my chest.

The golden light felt wonderful as the essence of the two flowed into my body, filling me with ancient power and knowledge. Memories flashed through my subconscious as their lives were downloaded into my brain. New doors were opened within my mind, as the Language of Old Times was suddenly available to me. Their skills, their ancient knowledge, and bodies were now mine and they were finally free.

Two small puffs of glowing smoke, one blue, one green, exited my mouth and disappeared, probably to the great Void where all faded deities go to. I reached up and whipped away the tears that were flowing from my eyes.

"You're free now my friends. You are finally free." I said. And with a final look at the cell, I turned around and walked away.

Suddenly filled with burning vengeance, I stalked back to my cell. Perses was going to pay for the injustice he placed upon those two. It may take a month, it may take a year but upon the River Styx, I will find a way to make him pay.

**LINE BREAK**

**Third Person POV**

Ever since the incident with Cottus and Gyges, Percy trained relentlessly, his anger and rage towards Perses growing more and more every day. That day in the cell beneath the Arena changed him even more than he already was. Bob and Damasen were the only ones who were able to talk to him where he would be his usual self, but at all other times, he was vicious, ruthless, and downright vengeful when I came to other monsters.

Perses didn't know that two of his prized prisoners were gone yet and Percy planned for it to stay that way until he could announce it publically and in a very big manner.

He put his newfound knowledge of metalworking to good use. He took all of his weapons and mixed in other godly metals of Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, Stygian Iron, and Titan Silver to reinforce and enhance their deadly power. Riptide was still predominantly Celestial Bronze, down the middle of the blade ran a swirling, intertwining helix of Stygian Iron and Titan Silver, the black and silver looking like rolling waves along the blade length. The hilt of the sword was now a mix of Imperial Gold and Celestial Bronze, giving it a better and sturdier grip.

Many hours he worked in the forges to get all his weapons up to their max potential and when that was done, he turned to create some armor. The intense heat of the forges didn't bother him in the least as the years of being exposed to the harsh conditions of the Pit had toughened his skin up exponentially. Coupled that with his innate ability to be resistant to heat, the fires from the forge didn't even make him sweat. Using techniques and designs not scene in millennia, he carefully and painstakingly crafted the metal into the desired shape he wanted. Lifting the armor from the molds her created, he marveled at his work.

He only made a few pieces of armor to cover up certain parts of his body. The first piece were two gauntlets made out of Celestial Bronze. Lightweight and flexible, the gauntlets came all the way up to his forearms, covering his entire lower arms. They weren't like regular gauntlets that were big and bulky; these pieces of equipment were sleek, fitting his arms like a glove. Tiny little sharp studs, made out of Stygian Iron, dotted the knuckles on the fingers, ensuring that it would give one devastating punch. The left gauntlet was bigger than the other to accommodate for Percy's monster hand and could change and morph to fit his shifting appendage.

He crafted other standard pieces of armor, covering his shins, thighs, and shoulders, allowing for speed and mobility, while the metals would be able to stand even the most punishing of blows. The chest piece had two layers, the outer layer made of smooth, lightweight, Titan Silver, while the second layer was interlocking Imperial Gold chainmail, all of it covering his chest, upper torso, and back.. The finishing touch was on the face of the chest piece. On the face was Percy's Monster Eye Tattoo he had on his hand, the slitted pupil staring down any and all who stand before it.

The best part about all this armor was that, when he shifted, it all melded into his skin seamlessly, allowing for quick change without the armor getting damaged by his shifting form. The armor was shrunken down into a necklace made of all the metals, the monster eye as the charm.

Percy now stood in the Arena once more, ready to face whatever monstrosity Perses was gonna throw at him this time.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! You've seen him defeat the Nemean Lion, saw him slaughter the King of All Hellhounds, and Massacre the Monstrous Quad Squad, but how will he fare when he must face opponents older than the Titans themselves? I give you, Perseus Jackson Monster Shifter!" Perses cried into his microphone, the audience going wild as Percy strolled onto the field, his very body exuding deadly grace and power.

"So Monster Shifter, Are you ready for today's challenge?" Perses said happily, with the insane twinkle in his eye.

Percy replied by pulling out his new Ax, named Omega, and pointed it at Perses. "I don't know, oh great Titan of Destruction. Why don't you send me your little pets and we will see who should be ready, hmm?" Percy said in a vicious tone.

Perses's eyes narrowed a little as he scowled at Percy. He did not like how the insolent brat addressed him and began to plan for a way to break him. He snapped out of his thoughts as a humorless smile crossed his lips.

"Very well. Let the fight begin." He said as he turned to address the audience.

"Today, the Great Monster Shifter shall face off against three deadly opponents that have struck terror even into the hearts of the gods themselves! In this corner, the flaming falcon of the sky, the bird the rises from the ashes of demise, I give you the PHOENIX!"

Out of the gates, fire rolled out as tongues of flames licked the walls, leaving soot and scorch marks. A shriek was heard from the gateway as from the entrance, a flaming bird burst from the whole and flew up to the rafters in the middle of the Arena.

The Phoenix was a monster of beauty. Multicolored feathers crackled and burned with fire, giving off different colors of flames. Red, orange, yellow, gold, with hints of blue and red, the feathers shimmered in beauty as the fires danced around them, but never burning them. With the body of a raven and its wings fully extended, the phoenix had a wingspan of 35 feet, flames rushing down and covering the ground, turning the sand to ash. The talons on its feet were three feet long and looked capable of grabbing a full-grown elephant clear of the ground. The beak of the mighty bird was razor sharp and hooked to a point, perfect for tearing and ripping apart its opponents. But it was the eyes that caught you. Solid gold, with intelligence shining though them, it was the eyes that showed you that this bird has lived thousands of lifetimes and it held great wisdom from its many lives, only to be reborn through the flames of fire.

Landing on the ground and extinguishing its flames, the phoenix looked at Percy as Percy looked back at it, each scrutinizing the other. While the bird was beautiful, Percy was not impressed.

"The second opponent is the daughter of Tartarus herself! SO fearsome that when she first appeared, all gods save Zeus ran away in terror upon seeing her hideous form, guarder of the Hundred-Handed Ones and Elder Cyclopes, I give you KAMPE!"

The Jailer of the Hundred Handed Ones and one of the most feared monsters in all of Tartarus burst through the gates on the other side of the Arena. Percy watched her impassively, but on the inside he felt his blood boil in rage as he saw the monster he had fought in the world above that imprisoned his friend Briares.

She looked exactly like she did at the Battle of the Labyrinth, but she was much much bigger. Where in the world above she was around 15 feet tall, here she was at least tripled in size, reaching nearly 50 feet tall. It was like the Pit was invigorating her, allowing her to reach her true height.

The bottom half of her body was that of a dragon, with scaly black skin and hundreds of vipers and snakes sprouted from her legs. While her lower half was that of a dragon, her upper half was somewhat human if you got past the scaly skin, giant scaly wings that protruded from her back, with the huge scorpion tail at the base of her spine. Around her stomach was a bubbling mass of flesh as it shifted into different animal heads. A wolf, a bear, a lion, a tiger were all seen as she hovered in the air, her snake hair writhing on her head, her reptilian eyes gazing at Percy in hatred.

She pulled out her two green-glowing scimitars, the bubbling poison green acid dripping from the blades. Wherever the acid dripped, the ground bubbled and hissed as it was charred and burned. She leveled the sword right at the son of Poseidon and spoke in her hissing voice.

"_Perseus Jackson! You have caused my death in the world above for unleashing that accursed Hundred-Handed One! I shall destroy you and watch as your bloody corpse withers and turns to dust!" _She cried out in the Language of Old Times.

Percy just smirked, his own slitted eyes flashed coldly as he regarded the giant monster in front of him. "_It shall be you, Kampe, who shall shrivel and die. For the torture you have placed upon my friend, Briares, and his brothers, Cottus and Gyges, I shall kill you and take your essence!" _He shouted out in the same tongue, drawing a shocked reaction from her. A ripple of shock went through the crowd as they heard this demigod speak the Language of Old Times, a language once thought to be lost to time, but here it was, being spoken by this demigod.

Kampe recovered from her shock, her green eyes narrowing as she regarded Percy warily.

"_How do you know the Language of Old Times?"_ She hissed out.

Percy's smirk turned sinister, as his slitted pupils bored into Kampe's. "_You shall find out soon enough."_

Kampe recoiled a little bit at the hatred and savage look in his eye. For the first time in her long life, she felt a stirring of fear and nervousness, deep within her stomach as she stared into the swirling pools of power that were the demigod's eyes. She snapped out of it and brandished her scimitars, letting out a hiss as she got ready to attack.

"Not yet Kampe! We still have yet to introduce the final contender that this boy must face." Perses called out with a gleefully insane smile. But his eyes bored into hers with a deadly gaze. He meant business and would not tolerate it if she attacked before it was time.

"The third and final contender is a legend from the stars himself! Called down to answer the call of battle, spewing forth his mighty roar, flames cascading out from his maw. The very first of his kind and the best, I give you the mighty dragon, DRACO!" He bellowed out.

Silence fell over the crowd as they awaited the arrival of the legend himself. Seconds turned into to minutes, yet the dragon didn't appear. Percy felt like laughing and taunting Perses. But before he could make a sarcastic remark, a roar louder than anything he had ever heard, shook the stadium.

Upon hearing the roar, Percy paled. Whatever had made that sound was monstrous and it was coming straight for him.

**And there is chapter 13! Had to make a little cliffhanger there at the end. I know I'm evil, but I got to keep you guys wanting more.**

**Man that took a long time. I had a little bit of writer's block there for a bit, but then the ideas started flowing and I started typing.**

**Sorry that it takes so long to update, but this week has been busy. On the plus side, my birthday was on Friday and I am now officially 20! I'm two decades old baby!**

**So what did you all think? I wanted to try and get some of the plot rolling where Percy finds out about Erebus and develop his back-story a little bit. Did it make sense and what did you all think of where Gaea and Tartarus were originally good, but Erebus infected them with darkness? Erebus is trapped in Tartarus and since his essence is leaking into the Pit, which is the body of Tartarus, the darkness affected him and was absorbed into Tartarus. Make sense?**

**As for the nightmares, who wouldn't have nightmares of their tortures in Hell? I realized that, while I had Percy suffering in Tartarus, I haven't yet had him suffering mentally form his times with Kronos, only focusing on controlling his curse. So that is what prompted me to write the little nightmare scene.**

**As for the Hundred-Handed Ones, The idea just came to me and I rolled with it. What did you all think?**

**Now, I have been getting a lot of questions on when Percy will be getting out of Tartarus. Well, to give you an answer, I would put it that he will be freed in the next two or three chapters. I have a two or three more fights for Percy. **

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! It means a lot and makes me keep on writing!**

**Hans50 OUT!**


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